Recent years have seen an increase in discourse concerning the interrelationship
between "theatre" and "performance," with considerations ranging from how
"theatre" and "performance" may co-exist to debates over which practice
is the future of the field. This symposium seeks to examine different
facets of the relationship between "theatre" and "performance" by looking
at how notions of "theatre" and "performance" inform one another, while
still acknowledging that there are certain practices that may be conceived
as distinctly "performative" or "theatrical," depending upon the social,
political, and cultural contexts in which they occur. What are the
implications of our increasingly performance-oriented society for theatre
and vice versa?
Papers may address such topics as: how the theories and methodologies
of performance studies can inform and enrich theatre studies, generally
and in particular instances; elements of the theatrical outside of traditional
performance spaces, as, for example, in performed "events"; the role of
theatrical convention in performing identities and/or ritualizing cultural
values in unique times and in public or private places; audience reception
and participation as a performative event; practices that represent, contest,
and invert preconceived notions of both "theatre" and "performance"; "theatrical"
sub-genres of "performance" (eg. the performance monologue, performance
theatre); "performance" responses to dramatic texts; the applicability
of theories of performativity to theatrical practice.
Please send abstracts with a cover letter by November 15, 2002.
Abstracts should be 150 – 250 words long and must include the applicant’s
name, academic affiliation, address, telephone number and email address.
Final papers should not exceed 9 ½ pages or 2500 words. Papers
will be limited to fifteen minutes maximum!
Please send a copy of your abstract to each of the symposium co-chairs:
John R. Poole (309) 438-8973
Penny Farfan (403) 220-6680
School of Theatre jrpoole@ilstu.edu
University of Calgary farfan@ucalgary.ca
212 Centennial West
Department of Drama
Campus Box 5700
2500 University Drive NW
Illinois State University
Calgary, Alberta
Normal, IL 61790-5700
Canada T2N 1N4