Patrick Finn & Marilyn Potts
The Space Between: Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the Anatomy of Performance

Over the past several years, a number of key studies have attempted to bridge the gap between scholars and producers of Shakespearean plays. Books such as W.B. Worthen’s Shakespeare and the Authority of Performance have argued convincingly that scholars must stop thinking of Shakespeare’s plays as texts for reading, and realize that the words on the page are instead one part of a series of harmonized components that go into a performance. At its simplest, this new performance-oriented criticism attempts to meld critical theory and theatre practice. Studies such as Worthen’s have gone a long way towards persuading teachers of Shakespeare that performance is a central determining factor in the representation of Shakespearean plays. However, when scholars consider performance in this context there remains an ironic gap. The study of performance practice is transposed into the textual realm and becomes merely one more academic category for discussion within the pages of books and journals. Of course, there is little else that can be done if we wish to continue to provide critical responses to Shakespeare. Our goal is not to refute the possibility to performance criticism, but to highlight some of its ambiguities. Accordingly, our paper originates at the intersection of our separate identities – as a director and teacher of drama and as a Shakespearean scholar specializing in editorial theory. It is our intention to highlight issues that arise when directors and scholars work together in order to make the most out of both the text and the stage.