Performance Studies
THEA 316
Spring 2018 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
RELI 385 |
| Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory |
Performance Studies introduces students to theories from the fields of aesthetics and cultural studies to help them examine how particular uses of the body, space, and narrative intersect to inform our experience of "performance," broadly defined. A reading- and writing-intensive seminar, Performance Studies prepares students to develop in-depth research on a topic of their choice. They may experiment with archival and library research, analysis of live performance, and analysis of documents of various kinds, including visual materials. In class, we will look at a wide range of public events and use the frame of performance studies to engage the interplay between real and fictional in both artistic productions and performative contexts. This seminar is appropriate and recommended for students with a background in either performance (theater, dance, music, performance art) or ritual/cultural studies. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA THEA |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CSCT)(STS)(THEA) |
Major Readings:
"Postdramatic Theater", Hans-Thies Lehmann
"The Transformative Power of Performance: A New Aesthetics", Erika Fisher-Lichte
Course reader (online)
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Examinations and Assignments:
Students will work on individual research papers (15-20 pages) throughout the semester. Research topics are due by the end of the first month of classes; a polished draft of the paper (7-10 pages) will serve as the mid-term; additionally, students will give an oral presentation of their research during the final week of classes. Shorter oral presentations are due throughout the course. Possible topics are (but not limited to): acting/ritualizing; modes of presence; embodiment; dance in the context of performance studies; the visual arts and performance; ritual practices in experimental performance; new rituals; ritual and diasporas; urban United States, tradition, and cultural rites; public performance as social ritual; music in ritual and performance; spectatorship in ritual, theatre, and ritual theatre; embodiment in ritual and performance; comparative analysis of different rituals/ritualized practices. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
The course combines lecture and seminar formats. Students will engage in independent research. Students are invited to bring additional readings on their research projects to class discussions. Recommended for students with a background in the performing and visual arts or religious/ritual studies. Please contact the instructor via e-mail if you have questions.
The Theater Department organizes a variety of performances for students enrolled in its courses. Field trips to see performances off campus are integrated into course syllabi. Instructors will notify students of all dates at the beginning of the semester and costs for all course field trips are covered (specifically, transportation to and from the performance and tickets). Any potential scheduling conflicts for field trips should be discussed with faculty members. Once students indicate that they are going and tickets are purchased, it is assumed they will attend. (Students backing out of field trips they had said they would attend will be asked to cover the cost of their ticket.)Performances of visitors to Wesleyan's Center for the Arts are integrated into course syllabi and students are required to attend these performances unless otherwise negotiated with instructors. Tickets for performances are available to students at the Box Office in Usdan at the reduced price of $6.00.
This course fulfills the Religion Department "Thematic Approaches" major requirement. |
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