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THEATER OF THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD: BETWEEN “SCHOOL” AND “CITY” // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2020. Issue 4 (26). P. 98-111

The article, based on the material of late medieval Germany, examines the place of the theater as a communicative channel in urban space. The author proceeds from the idea that paratheatre (processions, various games, etc.) played an important role in the dialogue between the authorities and the city community, whereas performances themselves, starting from the first decades of the 15th century, were a channel of intercity communication. Different classes had access to the production of performances, which led to the generally neutral nature of theatrical texts that performed mainly conservative and entertaining functions. Has the role of the theater changed in connection with the development of humanism and institutionalization of the theater within the school system in the Early Modern Period? The article attempts to answer this question on the material of the works of the early Protestant writer Sixt Birck. In historiography, his works are viewed through the prism of the political dimension, and he is classified as a very refined, intellectual writer. However, according to the author of the article, Birck’s texts differ little from the late medieval tradition. The analysis shows that Birck maintains the same values of stability and medieval topoi. However, the "School" clearly pushes the "City" to comprehend social experience.

Keywords: Reformation, fastnachtspiel, humanism, Conrad Celtis, dramaturgy, performance