Diderotian Resonance at the Fin-de-Siècle: Coquelin, Irving, Salvini in the Acting Debate

Abstract

Between 1880 and 1910, a debate sparked in Europe regarding Diderot's Paradoxe. This discussion, setting aside the philosophical reflections to which even Diderot had subjected his theory of acting and passing into the hands of actors (C. Coquelin and H. Irving, especially), essentially concerns the technical dimension. Notably, one of the most interesting contributions to this discourse came from the Italian actor Tommaso Salvini. In December 1890, he published an article titled "Some Views on Acting," the American periodical "The Century." A few months later, the Italian translation surfaced in "L'illustrazione italiana", under the title Una questione d'arte drammatica. The public reflections offered by these actors to the press, against the backdrop of a growing cultural globalisation, not only merit recognition for contributing to the rediscovery of Diderot's text but also respond to a societal need for legitimization and autonomy in the socio-cultural sphere. These reflections serve as attempts to construct a distinct authorship, a refinement of acting poetics where artistic invention and critical reflection intersect.