Acting, Being, Doing, and Making: Introduction to Performance Studies (LA)

Subject associations
THR 300 / COM 359 / ENG 373 / ANT 359
Term
Spring 2024
Instructors
Rhaisa Williams
Registrar description

A hands-on approach to this interdisciplinary field. We will apply key readings in performance theory to space and time-based events, at sites ranging from theatre, experimental art, and film, to community celebrations, sport events, and restaurant dining. We will observe people's behavior in everyday life as performance and discuss the "self" through the performativity of one's gender, race, class, ability, and more. We will also practice ethnographic methods to collect stories to adapt for performance and address the role of the participant-observer, thinking about ethics and the social responsibilities of this work.