Description: Unpacking the phenomenon of celebrity presidents, this book explores how theatrical techniques function as expedient yet potentially dangerous tools in contemporary politics.
Brief description: Maria Berlova is an independent scholar based in Washington, DC, USA. She holds two PhDs, from the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS) and Stockholm University. In 2018, Berlova published her book, Theater of the King. Gustav III and the Formation of the Swedish National Stage in Russian. In 2021, she published Performing Power: The Political Secrets of Gustav III (1771-1792) which focuses on the tight link between theater and politics during the Enlightenment in Sweden and other European countries. Berlova specializes in political theater, theatricality, and audience perception.