Literature of spectacle

Abstract

The development of Portuguese theatre, that occurred since the second half of the 19th century, triggered the appearance of new concert halls, as well as the increase of spectators, in quantity and diversity, giving rise to a specific literary genre: the literature of spectacle, referring not only to theatrical representation, but also to other performing arts. Regarding this topic, the Arquivo Municipal de Lisboa holds a vast amount of documentation about the artistic and cultural activity in the city, among which stand out the archives of the Teatro Municipal São Luiz, the Sociedade Promotora de Educação Popular and Lusitano Clube, entities of cultural, educational and recreational nature, that include diversified information relating to the organisation, production, management, promotion and disclosure of spectacles and shows. Given the particular interest and specificity of the literature of spectacle, within the cultural panorama and in the interaction between actors and spectators, the documentary corpus published in this Documenta comprises items relating to performances of recitations, revues, operettas, songs, comedies, fantasies, dramas, farces, among other forms of representation.