This course will focus on the changes and developments which European theatre had undergone from the beginning of the 17^th century till the end of the 19^th century. We will trace the theatrical potentials which were promoted, and those that were discarded, during the consolidation processes which eventually led to the emergence of modern theatre. These will be discussed in light of changes in the social, political, economical, religious, and gender order in Western culture. Theatre will be presented as an arena for the performance of power-structures, as well as of cultural conflicts and tensions, in a critical period for the formation of the modern West. Special focus will be put on the appearance of actresses and women playwrights; on class struggles; on the emergence of the actor as cultural icon and celebrity; and on the role of theatre for a culture in the throes of secularization and revolution.