Shatterpoints: An adaptation theory on Shakespeare’s Coriolanus

Carlson, Vincent

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124284 Copy

Description

Title

Shatterpoints: An adaptation theory on Shakespeare’s Coriolanus

Author(s)

Carlson, Vincent

Issue Date

2024-04-16

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Stevens, Andrea

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Stevens, Andrea

Committee Member(s)

• Robinson, Valleri
• Jenkins, Jeffrey E
• Menzer, Paul

Department of Study

Theatre

Discipline

Theatre

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Shatterpoints
• Adaptation: Theory
• Literature
• Analysis
• Shakespeare
• Coriolanus
• Political
• Performance

Abstract

This dissertation develops a theory of adaptation called, Shatterpoints, which looks at the divergences from – as opposed to the fidelity to – a sourced material, highlighting the differences in order to alienate both the agendas and the contexts of an adaptation. This project applies the Shatterpoints Theory by asking, “What shatterpoints did Shakespeare leverage from his own sourced material, Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, to craft a new dramatic narrative in Coriolanus?” and “Further – at which shatterpoints in the new target material are interpretive choices to be made?” This project interrogates the historical context, critical heritage, and current discourse of Coriolanus in production. Particular attention is paid to productions / versions that appear in adaptation, as well as those that incorporate a participatory audience into the aesthetic of the play. A primary objective of this study is to articulate how the reception of Coriolanus is affected by its new contexts. Finally, this project documents the construction, rehearsal, and performance of my own adaptation of Coriolanus, asking, “What choices have I made – at the expense of others – to interpret, conceptualize, and produce my version, today?” CHAPTER 1: SHATTERPOINTS – A THEORY OF ADAPTATION A shatterpoint in a pane of glass is a finite spot that contains a molecular imperfection, a weakness, or an imperceptible difference. If that site receives pressure, the pane of glass will break into a fissured web. Tracing the cracks of the web back to their source will reveal the site from which the glass shattered. The identification of shatterpoints in a text reveals the instances of tension – or difference – in the narrative. When pressure is applied to these points, the text opens, and will shatter into a web of interpretive paths. My theory of adaptation highlights the sites of difference and defamiliarizes the divergences from the sourced material in order to reveal not only the contexts of the adaptation and the enactors themselves, but also the motivations and agendas of the new material. CHAPTER 2: THE VERY SOURCE OF IT: SOURCED MATERIAL – FROM PLUTARCH TO SHAKESPEARE Shakespeare’s sovereign source for his Coriolanus narrative was Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. Additionally, Shakespeare leveraged his own contemporary contexts as well as research from other polemic-rich material to create a new dramatic narrative. By looking at the what of Shakespeare’s adaptation, I create a treatise on why alterations were made. And more specifically, I point out what potential inferences could be made from analyzing those changes. CHAPTER 3: TH’INTERPRETATION OF FULL TIME: 340 YEARS OF CORIOLANUS IN PRODUCTION Much of Coriolanus’ production history includes explorations through adaptation. The play galvanizes political interpretations. Through adaptation, aspects of the play are brought to the fore or changed to create a more dynamic rendering. Adaptations eliminate or invent characters, change the ending in order to highlight a final image, intercut scenes, edit scenes, rewrite speeches, and conflate and adapt previous versions for even more-interwoven productions that create an intertextual web of interpretive choices. In some cases, the adaptation results in an aggressive assertion, a more explicitly political manifesto. In other cases, the adaptation attempts to mitigate or erase the play’s inherent politics. What is interesting is that these adaptations are used for extremely divergent purposes and are received in significantly contrasting ways. In placing these productions next to each other, and ultimately setting them alongside Shakespeare’s material, I demonstrate how the play – in its various forms – is used to communicate between the agents of theatrical events and their intended audiences. Conclusively, it identifies interpretive shatterpoints, exposing how the enactors prove their motivations in both process and product. CHAPTER 4: AT THE FORUM, IN THE ARENA: A DOCUMENTARY OF THE TRAGEDY OF CORIOLANUS, AN ADAPTATION IN PROCESS I wrote and produced an adaptation of Coriolanus for Illinois Theatre which performed in April 2023. The final chapter is a documentary of that process – highlighting my own adaptation agenda, various performance happenings (discoveries of the play in rehearsal and performance), as well as divergent options that the play did or could have taken from its sourced material (my playscript).

Graduation Semester

2024-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Vincent Carlson

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