Fictions of the Real: Synergies Between Screen and Stage in Argentine Performance

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Fictions of the Real: Synergies Between Screen and Stage in Argentine Performance

by Brenda Werth

University of Michigan Press, 2026

ISBNs

Cloth: 978-0-472-07820-2

Paper: 978-0-472-05820-4

eISBN: 978-0-472-90600-0 (OA)

About the Book

Brenda Werth’s Fictions of the Real traces the transformation of “the real” and its transnational conceptualization by Argentine artists in the twenty-first century, focusing on artists who engage in both documentary theater and filmmaking. Werth places the work of Lola Arias, Romina Paula, Federico León, Mariano Pensotti, and Grupo Krapp in dialogue with the distinct but intertwined lineages of theater and film, exploring the intermedial dimensions of these artists’ theatrical work, resonances in their documentary films, and the transmedial relationships between their documentary plays and films. Focusing on the dynamic and shifting context of Argentina between 1998 and 2023, a period roughly bookmarked by the economic crisis of 2001 and the COVID-19 pandemic, this book explores how these artists disrupt the relations of power and counter political manipulation with their own evocative fictions of the real as they engage in the roles of translators, curators, researchers, archivists, and collaborators.

About the Author

Brenda Werth is Associate Professor of Latin American and Spanish Studies and Department Chair of World Languages and Cultures at American University. She is the coeditor of Bodies on the Front Lines: Performance Gender, and Sexuality in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Reviews

“Werth deftly draws on key scholarly works and an expansive number of artistic works, expertly positioning herself within the broad Argentinian performance field. Fictions of the Real is an elegantly written book that offers valuable insights into the dynamic and intersecting fields of Argentinian theater and film.”— Maria Delgado, University of London

“Fictions of the Real is both ambitious and unpretentious; it recognizes other contributions to Argentinian performance studies while offering its own original approach to the subject. Werth’s well-researched and well-written book speaks to various audiences, reaching researchers, artists, and anyone interested in Latin American theater.”— Jordana Blejmar, University of Liverpool

“This comprehensive study examines the landscape of Argentine theatre and film from the 1990s to the present, focusing on influential figures such as Lola Arias, Federico León, Grupo Krapp, Romina Paula, and Mariano Pensotti. Supported by meticulous research, Brenda Werth studies how these artists navigate multifaceted roles as translators, curators, researchers, archivists, and collaborators in their exploration of the real.”

— Paola Hernández, University of Wisconsin-Madison