Adequate Rhetorical Delivery when Staging Premodernity: A Combination of Synchronic and Diachronic Approaches

Abstract

How do we approach voice and gesture when working with the performing arts from the eighteenth century? The author argues that the revival of historical acting practices requires adequate rhetorical delivery, actio, which involves a thorough interpretation of both the artistic artefact and its context. She draws attention to the ancient rhetorical concept kairós, which is often defined as timing, or as saying or doing something that fits the exact time, the specific occasion, and the audience. Like any public speaker, the actor must remain open and shape the speech in interaction with the exact moment of performance.