The theatre, the circus, dance and opera are more closely intertwined than ever. In this book, the author takes stock of the prospects opened by these interrelationships and explores the processes by which the stage and the audience leave reality behind and together reinvent themselves whenever a show begins. He examines the role of actors, directors, the pleasure experienced by spectators, the settings, and the forms and strategies of the live performances in an ever-changing society.
Thanks to the author's diverse points of view, analyses of specific examples, critical and instructional approaches and audience interviews, readers will gain insight into the challenges involved in the performing arts.

André Helbo teaches at Université libre de Bruxelles, where he heads the performing arts study programme. He is the managing editor of the review Degrés,and has written many works on the theatre, theatrical adaptation, general and applied semiotics and the performing arts.