The Theatre of the Occult Revival, 2014 Alternative Spiritual Performance from 1875 to the Present Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History Series

This book explores the religious foundations, political and social significance, and aesthetic aspects of the theatre created by the leaders of the Occult Revival. Lingan shows how theatre contributed to the fragmentation of Western religious culture and how contemporary theatre plays a part in the development of alternative, occult religions.

Introduction 1. The Occult Revival and Its Theatrical Impulses 2. Katherine Tingley and the Theatre of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society 3. The Anthroposophical Theatre of Rudolf and Marie Steiner 4. Aleister Crowley's Thelemic Theatre 5. Rosicrucian Theatre and Wiccan Ritual 6. The Neopagan Performance Current Conclusion

Edmund B. Lingan is Interim Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Theatre and Film at The University of Toledo, USA.