Cognitive Theatrology

Cognitive theatrology is a new scientific discipline as part of the Czech academic environment. We research ways of using theories of cognitive studies and cognitive science in the theatre-science research. We pursue how our conceptualization of the world around us, its universalia and specifics, manifests itself in theatre. Therefore we are primarily interested in conceptual metaphors, conceptual metonymies and oxymorons.

Research Focus and Methods

Cognitive theatrological research at the Department of Theatre Studies primarily focuses on the analysis of theatre performance and the interpretation of historical events in connection with theatre activities. In our research, we proceed from linguistics to a certain degree. However, we incessantly cross the borders of this discipline to an area which we are even more interested in, i.e. theatre and theatricality. It is mostly based on the theory of conceptual metaphor, as developed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson or Zoltán Kövecses, the theory of conceptual integration (e.g. Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner), the theory of multimodal metaphor (e.g. Charles Forceville and Eduardo Urios-Aparisi), and the theory of audiovisual metaphor (according to Kathrin Fahlenbrach).

Joining International Research

At present we cooperate with Svitlana Shurma, PhD from Borys Grinchenko University (Kyiv), who is an expert in the field of cognitive poetics. We have also made contact with Universität Hamburg, where Professor Kathrin Fahlenbrach is developping the theory of audiovisual metaphor in an inspirational way; and also with Professor Zoltán Kövecses from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. At present we are discussing cooperation with other experts from the field of cognitive studies – watch this space!