Introduction: Cultural Convergence at Dublin’s Gate Theatre

Abstract

The pioneering efforts of the Dublin Gate Theatre (est. 1928) stimulated the influx of experimental plays from the European Continent and North America to Ireland and inspired Irish theatre-makers to revolutionize their dramaturgy. This book examines the Gate’s poetics over the first three decades of its existence, discussing some of its remarkable productions in the comparative contexts of avant-garde theatre and of Hollywood cinema and popular culture. It also investigates cultural exchanges pertaining to the development of Irish-language theatre and the politics of the Gate. The introduction summarizes existing research about the Gate, outlines the book’s concept of cultural convergence and its overall approach – which is intent on the exploration of wider global contexts of the work of the Gate – and outlines the argument of the authors in the subsequent chapters.