Tijdschrift voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde

Henny Ruitenbeek

De Amsterdamse Schouwburg in de eerste helft van de negentiende eeuw: egalitair of elitair?

Abstract -- In the first half of the 19th century, the Amsterdam City Theatre was a middle-class theatre. In the period 1811-1820, while being run commercially by middle-class actors, its theatre culture could be characterised as egalitarian, dominated bij entertainment. From 1820 tot 1841, however, an elite high culture was predominant, with the City Theatre being run by a non-commercial board. The board promoted a return to classicism and tried to keep out the modern, non-classicistic toneelspel. This was mainly for political reasons. This genre was said to challenge the existing social order. The board feared its consequences for society, since it could incite audiences to rebellion or revolution. It therefore decided on a restrictive policy with regard to the modern toneelspel, a policy which would gradually extend to all of Amsterdam’s theatre culture. An important aspect of the bourgeois theatre culture was thus seriously restricted.

TNTL 120-2 (juni 2004), 132-142