Experimental Archaeology Put at the Service Historically Informed Performances? The Case of 17th-Century Body Techniques for Acting

This article explores the epistemological boundaries framing the study of 17th Century acting techniques and the interest of re-enacting these practices for the revivification of French dramatic repertoire. Textual, iconographical and material sources are the only testimonies of this lost savoir-faire, but the author argues that we could access partly the historicized body through the experience of incorporation, following the example of experimental archaeology.