Actors, Audiences, and Emotions in the Eighteenth Century

Glen McGillivray is Associate Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. He was an associate investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, and his research focuses on the intersection between emotions and performance.

“Actors, Audiences, and Emotions in the Eighteenth Century: Communities of Sentiment is an interesting expansion on studies on eighteenth-century acting, one that could spark much-needed insight and discussion both within the study of theater history as well as within modern popular culture.” (Semane Parsons, ABO, Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, Vol. 14 (2), 2024) “The book is particularly strong in its nuanced elucidation of pre-Stanislavski ideas of natural acting: how this performance style was produced by the actor, received by the playgoer and mediated by the auditorium. This study will be helpful to students and scholars of eighteenth-century theatre and offers many new directions for future study.” (Fiona Ritchie, Emotions  History, Culture, Society, Vol. 8 (1), 2024)

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Playing to Type.- 3. Communicating Emotions: The Arts of the Actor.- 4. Regulating and Mobilizing Emotions: The Audience.- 5. Mediating Emotions: Practicing Emotions in Place.- 6. Conclusion.