DOCTORAL THESIS Carrying Queerness Queerness, Performance and the Archive Hunt, Raymond Justin Award date: 2013 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 01. Oct. 2021 Carrying Queerness: Queerness, Performance and the Archive by Raymond Justin Hunt, BA, MA A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD Department of Drama, Theatre and Performance University of Roehampton 2013 ABSTRACT This dissertation responds to the archival turn in critical theory by examining a relation between queerness, performance and the archive. In it I explore institutional archives and the metaphors of the archive as it operates in the academy, while focusing particularly on the way in which queerness may come to be archived. Throughout I use the analytic of performance. This work builds on and extends from crucial work in Queer studies, Performance Studies and Archival Studies. As such it asks what has been said and what we can say with these givens to offer what sociologist Avery Gordon has called “transformative recognition” (1997, 8). The project contributes to knowledge a mode of inquiry I create and deploy which queerly addresses current theory and practice, asking that we move beyond to consider new forms of care with such material. Among its original moves are being first to critically explore the John Sex archive, as well as the work of artists Taylor Mac, Mitch & Parry and Christa Holka. In the project, I also employ a methodological framework of the promise following the work of Shoshana Felman (2003). Throughout the chapters, case studies explore central notions to the archive: preservation, history, affect (desire) and community (lifeworlds). In writing the case studies my methods take off from ethnography as well as Performance Studies. In the end, the project is not conceived of as an archive; per se. Instead it tracks key movements of inquiry into archival practice and the situatedness of queerness in relation to such practices, as evidenced in performance, in both the theatrical and anthropological connotations of the term. I have conceived of and track three types of bodies through the dissertation: inquiring bodies, queer bodies and archival bodies. The inquiring body becomes the catalyst for archival intervention. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation project would not have been possible without my outstanding supervisory team at Roehampton University: Professor Joe Kelleher, Dr. Sarah Gorman and Dr. P.A. Skantze. To Joe and Sarah who met me years ago and worked to make my dream of doing this project a reality. To P.A. who, fork in hand, reminded me of the beauty and joy in scholarship; I have never felt so carried. Through the past years I have received unconditional support and encouragement from this team. Their powerful insights and sustained commitment to their research students is outstanding. I want to thank Roehampton University and the Department of Drama, Theatre and Performance. The institutional and departmental support I received through a merit scholarship and studentship made the costly endeavor of moving to the United Kingdom to undertake research a possibility. For his part in motivating me to seek such support, I graciously thank Professor Adrian Heathfield. As well, to Dr. Jennifer Parker-Starbuck, whose friendship I have cherished, and who has taught me so much about the world of academic publishing. I stumbled into an amazing community of artists and scholars literally upon landing at Heathrow Airport in 2008. I have Dr. Brian Lobel to thank for this. Brian opened too many doors to mention here; thank you. To the residents of 74 Mayola Road, I am forever indebted. It was at this residence that this PhD began and came to fruition. As well, it was living together which inspired Christa Holka and Dr. Johanna Linsley and me to create I’m With You, a live art production company which has supported the development of a number of our friends and colleagues creative 2 work. To our associate artists (and neighbors) I say thank you: Owen Parry, Dr. Eirini Kartsaki, Danae Theodoridou and Benjamin Sebastian (among others). Importantly, to Season Butler, a heartfelt thanks. You have been the most gracious editor, chef, friend and therapist. Without you this wouldn’t be done. The amazing group of associated researchers who formed the post-graduate community of the Performance Matters project became beloved source of creativity. Thanks to them and to Dance Theatre Journal, who published an early draft of a portion of Chapter Three. As well, to Lois Kedan and the staff at Live Art Development Agency, thank you; I loved moving every one of those books. My love to Sam Ashby and Little Joe Magazine who offered space in their publication to an idea that became the introduction to Chapter Three. This project has any focus at all, thanks to two amazing archivists: Marvin Taylor and Martha Wilson. Thank you to the Fales Library and Special Collections at New York University’s Bobst Library for access and tremendous support. And to the Franklin Furnace Archive, you welcomed me into research like no other institution. A hug and thank you to performance star Taylor Mac, for his work and for taking the time to speak with me at the beginning of this project. Much gratitude is due to Dr. Meredith Hyde and Dr. Troy Gordon who have welcomed me into their institutions and trusted me with their students. Thank you to Michael G. Cameron, Esq. who supported my dreams. To Timothy Smith, for being beside me. And to my mother Cynthia J. Hunt and grandmother Barbara J. Fossett; you both made all of this possible for me. Thank you. 3 CONTENTS Abstract 1 Acknowledgements 2 Introduction: Carrying Queerness 5 Chapter 1: The Artist as Archivist 54 Chapter 2: Cut Pieces 120 Figures 1-5 164 Chapter 3: Looking for Sex in the Archive 169 Chapter 4: Swapping Spit: (Anti)sociality and queer theory 204 Chapter 5: What’s the use in wondering?: Queer Debts 255 Conclusion: P.S.; or practising scholarship 297 Bibliography 304 4 INTRODUCTION: CARRYING QUEERNESS The Australian performer Meow Meow is due up next. I am seated at Joe’s Pub, a cabaret space at the Joseph Pap Theater1 on Astor Place in Manhattan. I am with my (then) partner and we are in the front row at our own table. A disturbance of some sort occurs behind us, back near the bar. A woman’s voice becomes more audible, something like “No, no. Sorry, No” is heard. I turn to observe. A woman with a leather jacket and black trousers is carrying a large bag. Her hair is dark brown, her eyes are glittery and she has bright red lipstick on. She is carrying two cigarettes in one gloved hand. A spotlight hits her; it seems the performance has started. “NO!” she screams. “Don’t light me!” She continues to apologise. You see, she simply can’t perform tonight. Things have gone wrong. There were supposed to be dancing boys. There was supposed to be more to the show, and it’s all gone wrong. Sorry, no. She can’t go on. A stage hand runs from the stage with a microphone and hands it to her. Her refusals, and apologies, continue now more audible. She begs an audience member to help her “I have too much stuff, can you just hold this?” Handing the patron her heavy bags she continues to argue the point that the show simply can’t go on. She mimes for us what would have happened, if there were to be a show. She marks dance moves, sings small snippets of songs, and as she offers a small operatic trill the spotlight hits her again. “NO! Don’t light me – light the stage.” The stage at Joe’s Pub is a small triangular thrust stage. A piano, a stool and a microphone stand are all that are present on the stage. The lights go up to half on 1 A general note on usage; when citing an American scholar or venue/event I have retained the American English spelling for all words. This is most apparent in the term theater/theatre, as well as “z” versus “s” spellings of conditional verbs and gerunds and “o” and “ou” spellings as in honor/honour. 5 the stage. The house lights remain lit. People begin to laugh, some nervously some in on the joke. The performance begins, it would seem to some, but to what and where should it lead? “Can you help me with this?” Meow Meow asks an audience member to help her with her coat, if she could just get it off perhaps she could, maybe, do something? “Could you just bring that up to the stage for me?” The person holding her bag shyly moves through the crowded audience and drops the bag on the stage. One arm is free from the leather jacket. It will take another audience member to help her out of the jacket, who will be directed to take it to the stage as well.