Monstrous Matters: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Stagings of Monstrous Figures, Bodies, and Orders in Contemporary Theater and Related Arts

• Applicant: Dr. Ekaterina Trachsel
• Subject Area: Theatre and Media Studies
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 578344146

Monstrosity is a significant phenomenon in many cultural and social contexts, marking boundaries, anxieties, and shifting norms. While Monster Studies have become a well-established international field, their potential remains underdeveloped in German-speaking theater and performance studies. The “Monstrous Matters” network addresses this gap by positioning theater as a unique site where monstrosity can be explored not only as representation but through staging, embodiment, and immediate perception as a phenomenon of encounter. For nothing is monstrous per se—it is only in encounter that something is perceived and named as monstrous: humans create monsters. The network aims to connect German and European scholars with the well-established international Monster Studies community, especially in the U.S., establishing an interdisciplinary research network linking theater studies with cultural, social, media studies, philosophy, law, gender studies, and beyond. Through a three-year program of in-person and virtual meetings, a student assistant, the development of a dedicated website and joint publications, the network will lay the foundation for a European Center for Monster Studies which will continue to exist beyond the funding period and be established as a long-term, interdisciplinary research hub. Thematically, the network investigates monstrosity along two axes: the staging and embodiment of monstrous bodies and figures, and the social and political orders monstrously challenged or reinforced. Methodologically, the network combines performance analysis, discourse analysis, and artistic research, fostering a reflective interdisciplinary exchange on societal issues of normativity, exclusion, and transformation. A particular emphasis of the network is on performing arts and theater, which have so far been underrepresented in Monster Studies. This deliberate inclusion significantly broadens the research field and encourages close interdisciplinary cooperation. “Monstrous Matters” is expanding the growing field of research and strengthening international networking among established scholars at all career stages. The program specifically supports early-career scholars in important humanities fields, such as gender and queer studies. Furthermore, the network opens innovative perspectives on contemporary challenges like diversity, identity politics, and social inequality, establishing sustainable, cross-border research infrastructures.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks