PREFACE

Abstract

The special issue of Culture Crossroads dedicated to the performing arts brings together a collection of research articles inspired by the conference “Acting. Reacting. Enacting. Theory and Practice in Performing Arts” held in Riga in 2023 during the Baltic Drama Forum. These selected contributions critically examine evolving paradigms in theatre practice, theory, and infrastructure across multiple cultural contexts. They span a wide thematic scope – from artistic research to postdramatic performance, from historical legacies of political theatre to institutional and research challenges in post-Soviet and contemporary settings, mainly focusing on Baltic theatre space.

The structure of this issue follows the conceptual framework outlined in the conference call—acting, reacting, enacting—progressing from theoretical reconsiderations of acting to the socio-political dimensions of performance, and finally to institutional and historiographic perspectives, thereby reflecting the broad spectrum of inquiry envisioned by the gathering.