PERFORMANCE STUDIES The publication of Performance Studies:An Introduction was a The book itself has also been revised, with 25 new defining moment for the field. Richard Schechner’s pioneer- extracts and biographies, up-to-date coverage of global and ing textbook provides a lively and accessible overview of the intercultural performances, and further exploration of the full range of performance for undergraduates at all levels and growing international presence of performance studies as a beginning graduate students in performance studies,theatre, discipline. performing arts, and cultural studies. Among the topics Performance Studies is the definitive overview for under- discussed are the performing arts and popular entertain- graduates, with primary extracts, student activities, key ments, rituals, play and games, and the performances of biographies and over 200 images of global performance. everyday life.Supporting examples and ideas are drawn from the social sciences,performing arts,poststructuralism,ritual Richard Schechner is a pioneer of performance studies. theory,ethology,philosophy,and aesthetics. A scholar, theatre director, editor, and playwright, he is This third edition is accompanied by an all-new companion University Professor and Professor of Performance Studies at website curated by Sara Brady. It features clips of Richard the Tisch School of the Arts,NewYork University.He is editor Schechner discussing his approach to performance studies and of TDR:The Journal of Performance Studies. Schechner is the explaining key ideas, as well as the following resources for author of Public Domain, Environmental Theatre, The End of instructors and students: Humanism,Performance Theory,Between Theatre and Anthropology, The Future of Ritual,and Over,Under,and Around.His books have • interactive glossary been translated into Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, • multiple choice questions French, Polish, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, German, • PowerPoint slides Slovakian,Italian,Hungarian,Dutch,Persian,Romanian,and • videos Bulgarian.He has directed plays and conducted workshops in • website links for further study Asia,Africa,Europe,and North and South America.He is the • tutorials on specific skills within performance studies general editor of the Enactments series published by Seagull • sample discussion questions Books. • exercises and activities • sample syllabi. Sara Brady is Assistant Professor at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY). She is author of Performance,Politics and the War on Terror (2012). Praise for previous editions: “Performance Studies:An Introduction marks the coming of age of performance studies not just as an acknowledged field of study but as an influential anti-discipline.” James Harding, University of Warwick “Richard Schechner’s work is crucial to exploring the tricky and sometimes dangerous territories of performance. Not only is he responsible for continually expanding the boundaries of the field but also for demystifying esoteric issues. His work reaches wide constituencies.Through his writings, I always discover new ways of looking at performance, and through performance at the world at large. His thoughts always renew my desire to change the world.” Guillermo Gómez-Peña, performance artist and writer,San Francisco “This fecund and useful volume sets up lively possibilities for exploring the entire spectrum of behaviors,restored or otherwise that Schechner as scholar,editor,and practitioner,has been sorting out for years with an enterprising spirit that now defines performance studies.” Herbert Blau, University of Washington,Seattle “An appropriately broad-ranging, challenging, and provocative introduction, equally important for practicing artists as for students and scholars of the performing arts.” Phillip Zarrilli, University of Exeter “This isn’t merely the musings of a theatre director who never stops innovating. It is a global thinker’s striking, historic way of understanding human nature from a surprisingly practical perspective, which can be adapted in countless areas at numerous levels.” Sun Huizhu, Professor of Drama,Shanghai Theatre Academy “Exactly what I have longed for. It provides linkages between concepts, gives historical perspective, and explains theoretical ideas in a language accessible to undergraduate students. It will be required reading.” Takahashi Yuichiro, Dokkyo University,Hyogo “Well written, thoughtful and provocative.An essential purchase.” Sally Harrison-Pepper, Miami University “The text is very cleverly put together with a clear idea of how its features contribute to the reading of the material. I frankly cannot imagine it being done better.” Simon Shepherd, Central School of Speech and Drama,London “It will make the teaching of performance studies a lot easier.” Colin Counsell, London Metropolitan University PERFORMANCE STUDIES An introduction Third edition Richard Schechner Media editor – Sara Brady First published 2002 Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or by Routledge registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Reprinted 2003 (twice) Second edition published 2006 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data by Routledge A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This third edition published 2013 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data by Routledge Schechner, Richard, 1934– 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Performance studies : an introduction / Richard Schechner and Sara Brady. – 3rd ed. Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada p. cm. by Routledge Includes bibliographical references and index. 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 1. Theater–Anthropological aspects. 2. Rites and ceremonies. Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business 3. Performing arts. I. Brady, Sara. II. Title. PN2041.A57S34 2012 © 2002, 2006, 2013 Richard Schechner 792–dc23 2012019299 Web materials © Sara Brady ISBN: 978–0–415–50230–6 (hbk) The right of Richard Schechner to be identified as author of this work has ISBN: 978–0–415–50231–3 (pbk) been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the ISBN: 978–0–203–12516–8 (ebk) Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced Typeset in Perpetua or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, by Keystroke, Station Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. To Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett Peggy Phelan Diana Taylor PERFORMANCE Usually people say that a truly artistic show will always be unique, impossible to be repeated: never will the same actors, in the same play,produce the same show. Theatre is Life. People also say that, in life, we never really do anything for the first time, always repeating past experiences, habits, rituals, conventions. Life is Theatre. Richard Schechner, with his sensibility and intelligence, leads us to explore the limits between Life and Theatre, which he calls Performance.With his knowledge, he allows us to discover other thinkers, stimulating us to have our own thoughts. Augusto Boal CONTENTS Preface ix 3 RITUAL 52 Acknowledgements xi Ritual, play,and performance 52 Varieties of ritual 52 1 WHAT IS PERFORMANCE STUDIES?1 Sacred and secular 53 Structures, functions, processes, and experiences 56 Introducing this book, this field, and me1 The boxes1 How ancient are rituals? 57 What makes performance studies special1 Eleven themes relating ritual to performance Multiple literacies and hypertexts4 studies 57 Performance studies here, there, and everywhere5 Rituals as action, as performance 57 Is performance studies an independent field? 12 Human and animal rituals 59 The Victor Turner connection 17 Rituals as liminal performances 66 The Centre for Performance Research and PSi 20 Limens, lintels, and stages 66 Northwestern’s brand of performance studies 20 Communitas and anti-structure 70 The “inter” of performance studies 24 Ritual time/space 71 Ethical questions 25 Transportations and transformations 72 Conclusions 25 Asemo’s initiation 73 Talk about 26 Social drama 75 Perform 27 The pig-kill dancing at Kurumugl 77 The efficacy–entertainment dyad 79 Origins of performance: If not ritual, then what? 80 2 WHAT IS PERFORMANCE? 28 Changing rituals or inventing new ones 81 What is “to perform”? 28 Using rituals in theatre, dance, and music 83 Performances 28 Conclusions 87 Bill Parcells wants you to perform 30 Talk about 88 Eight kinds of performance 31 Perform 88 Restoration of behavior 34 Caution! Beware of generalizations 36 4PLAY 89 “Is” and “as” performance 38 Maps “as” performance 41 The joker in the deck 89 Make-belief and make-believe 42 What is play? What is playing? 91 Blurry boundaries 43 Some qualities of playing 92 The functions of performance 45 Seven ways to approach play 93 Conclusions 48 Types of playing 93 Talk about 51 Play acts, play moods 95 Perform 51 Flow,or experiencing playing 97 Transitional objects, illusions, and culture 98 The ethological approach to play 99 The message,“This is play” 102 Bateson’s Othello 104 Playing blood rites 105 Philosophies of play 106 vii CONTENTS The bias against play 112 7 PERFORMANCE PROCESSES 221 Maya–lila 113 The earliest performances? 221 Deep play,dark play 118 Performance process as a time–space sequence