THEA 220(S) Approaching Performance Studies (Same as ArtS 204 and Women's and Gender Studies 220) (W)
Whether engaged with a `dialogical aesthetic' (Grant Kester) or intentional
movement and sound in relation to narrative, place or phenomena, we explore in
this class elements from many fields: anthropology, dramatic theory,
post-structuralism, psychoanalytic theory, folklore, religion, cultural studies,
literary theory, philosophy, feminist theory, and queer theory. The forms we'll
consider as the interdisciplinary meeting ground for those studies include
theatre, film, video, music, dance, visual art, performance art, community
activism, celebrations, parades, and public gatherings. As we read and watch
performances, questions will be raised: What are the parameters? Are social
attributes, such as ethnicity or sexuality, staged? Are cultural activities, such as
tourism, beyond our purview or are they performed and displayed as they are
lived? Are spectacles, simulations and consumption culturally specific?
This course is the introduction course for the Performance Studies Program.
Format: seminar. Evaluation is based on one short presentation, two short
papers, final performance project, class discussion and class attendance.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected 10). Not open to first-year students