ABSTRACT
Edward Gordon Craig’s (1872-1966) ‘übermarionette’ is at the same time an irritating and a stimulating enigma, as Craig’s essay entitled ‘The Actor and the Übermarionette’ does not state precisely what this influential British director meant by the term ‘übermarionette,’ which led to various, often incompatible interpretations. The present article, which is based on the introduction to a critical edition of textual sources relating to the übermarionette (to be published in the near future), summarizes the known facts about Craig’s involvement with his invention over the years. As a neutral approach to the topic was virtually impossible, the article expounds the beliefs that underlie the editor’s endeavour. Although the editor is convinced that philological evidence supports the notion that Craig coined the term übermarionette to refer to a lifesize marionette manipulated from within by a live performer, the article states that the field of investigations remains open, and that the critical edition that is being prepared will not put an end to discussions on the topic, but on the contrary will hopefully provide material for further controversies and interpretations.
BIOGRAFIA
Patrick Le Boeuf è un curatore bibliotecario che lavora attualmente alla Bibliothèque historique della città di Parigi, dove è a capo della sezione manoscritti. Dal 2006 al 2009 e, successivamente, dal 2014 al 2021 ha lavorato nella sezione Arti performative della Bibliothèque nationale de France, dove, tra gli altri incarichi, è stato responsabile della Edward Gordon Craig Collection.
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