Performance Perspectives: A Critical Introduction

2011 | Film & TV

What is 'performance'? What are the boundaries of Performance Studies? How do we talk about contemporary performance practices today in simple but probing terms? What kinds of practices represent the field and how can we interpret them? Combining the voices of academics, artists, cultural critics and teachers, Performance Perspectives answers these questions and provides a critical introduction to Performance Studies. Presenting an accessible way into key terminology and context, it offers a new model for analyzing contemporary performance based on six frames or perspectives: * Body * Space * Time * Technology * Interactivity * Organization. Drawing on examples from a wide range of practices across site specific performance, virtual reality, dance, applied theatre and everyday performance, Performance Perspectives addresses the binary of theory and practice and highlights the many meeting points between studio and seminar room. Each chapter takes the innovative form of a three-way conversation, bringing together theoretical introductions with artist interviews and practitioner statements.

The book is supported by activities for discussion and practical devising work, as well as clear guidance for further reading and an extensive reference list across media Performance Perspectives is essential reading for anyone studying, interpreting or making performance.

Jonathan Pitches (Author)

Sita Popat (Author)