Call for Papers: Theatralia 1/2025

Theatralia: Journal of Theatre Studies, vol. 28, no. 1, issue topic:

‘Cognitive Studies Approach to Theatrical Performance Analysis’

Issue Editors: Šárka Havlíčková Kysová (Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic) and Svitlana Shurma (Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech Republic)

Proposal deadline: 30 June 2024

Approximately twenty years after Theatre Studies embraced the so-called ‘cognitive turn’, Theatralia, a distinguished scholarly journal dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of theatre, once more invites submissions for an upcoming special issue focused on the application of cognitive approaches to theatre analysis. In 2016 Theatralia dedicated its special issue to the new trends in theatre theory development with the focus on the then young burgeoning field of cognitive approaches to theatre studies. This upcoming issue aims to explore how almost ten years later cognitive science methodologies and theories have deepened our understanding of theatrical phenomena, including but not limited to performance, reception, cognition, emotion, and embodiment. We welcome contributions from scholars and practitioners across various disciplines, including Theatre Studies, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Neuroscience, and beyond.

Cognitive Theatre Studies seek to unravel the complex interplay between the mind, body, and environment in theatrical contexts, offering fresh insights into the cognitive processes underlying the creation and per/reception of performances. The intersection of Cognitive Science and Theatre Studies continues to offer both scholars and practitioners a rich terrain for interdisciplinary investigation. Employing cognitive methodologies has allowed the researchers to elucidate the intricate processes underlying theatrical experiences, shedding light on how spectators perceive, interpret, and engage with performances. Additionally, cognitive approaches can provide insights into the creative processes of theatre practitioners, illuminating the cognitive mechanisms involved in acting, directing, and playwriting. By integrating cognitive perspectives into theatre analysis, scholars deepen their understanding of cognitive, emotional, and embodied dimensions of theatrical phenomena.

The issue of Theatralia 1/2025 dedicated to the topic of ‘Cognitive Studies Approach to Theatrical Performance Analysis’ invites contributions in the form of research articles for the peer-reviewed section of the journal (4,000‒7,000 words), as well as reports and reviews (1,000‒1,500 words), that explore the following themes (the list is by no means exhaustive):

• Theatrical performance analysis from/and the cognitive perspective
• Cognitive approach theories in theatrical performance analysis: Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Conceptual Blending Theory, multimodality and Multimodal Metaphor Theory
• Theatrical production components from the perspective of Cognitive Theatre Studies analysis: dramatic text, acting, scenography, direction, sound and beyond
• Semiotics, structuralism, and cognitive approach
• 4E and 5E cognition in/and theatrical performance
• Embodiment and embodied cognition
• Cognitive processes in theatrical reception and spectatorship
• Embodied cognition and its implications for actor training and performance
• The role of memory, attention, and perception in theatrical experiences
• Emotional engagement and empathy in theatrical performances
• Neuroaesthetics and the Neuroscience of theatre
• The cognitive basis of theatrical creativity and improvisation
• The impact of digital technologies on theatrical cognition and perception
• Cross-cultural perspectives on cognitive approaches to theatre analysis

Important dates

Proposal submission deadline: 30 June 2024

Manuscript submission deadline for peer-reviewed sections (Yorick, Spectrum): 30 September 2024

Manuscript submission deadline for non-reviewed sections (Reviews, Events): 30 November 2024

Issue publication: Spring 2025

All issue-related enquiries as well as submissions should be sent to the issue editors: theatralia@phil.muni.cz.

General guidelines for submission, formal requirements, article template and citation style are available at the section for authors on the Theatralia website.

Theatralia is a peer reviewed journal of theatre and performance history and theory, issued by Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, and indexed in SCOPUS, EBSCO and ERIH Plus and listed in the Ulrich’s web Global Serials Directory.