Biodrama and Historical Theatre: between Fragment and Translation

Abstract

Traditional dramatic theatre, based on the Aristotelian idea of mimesis, narrates stories that, regardless of their particular plot, always have a beginning, a middle and an end. This theatre is presented as a mirror of reality. The Aristotelian units order the chaos of human existence and introduce the reassuring illusion of control over time and over life throughout its permanent unfolding. But this Aristotelian notions are called into question in postdramatic theatre, where theatre no longer seeks to be the mirror of reality, its faithful and detailed reproduction. In La escena posdramática [The postdramatic scene] (2017), Beatriz Trastoy explains that contemporary Argentine theatre focuses on metadramatic questions and problematizes theatrical theory and practice. According to the author, postmodern theatre does not reflect upon the characters and their actions, but upon the theatrical activity itself. In this essay, basing ourselves on the notions of “translation” (Trastoy) and “fragment of life” (Jean-Pierre Sarrazac), we analyze two contemporary Argentine plays that spotlight the tensions between fiction and reality: Mi mamá y mi tía by Vivi Tellas and El pasado es un animal grotesco by Mariano Pensotti.