“THE PAST IS IN FRONT OF US”, OR APPROACHING ONE POSSIBLE HISTORY OF BELARUSIAN THEATRE

Abstract

Abstract: The article navigates both the existing models of the Belarusian theatre history, challenging the narratives constructed by Soviet historiography, and the nationally oriented models that emerged during the post-Soviet era. By focusing on the decolonial methodology and performative theory, particularly the bodily approach, the author suggests a reevaluation of key concepts such as “tradition” and “experiment” as the primary categories for structuring the theatre framework concept. The central argument is that decolonizing the theatre history goes beyond the emancipation of the cultural narrative within the geopolitical binary “centre-periphery”. The issue is more complex, as it involves a mode of imagination including the emancipation/decolonization/decentralization of theatrical production methods. This approach might facilitate the emergence of multiple historical narratives.
Keywords: Belarusian Theatre, History, Decoloniality, Body, Performance