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CS92PROD
One Night Only: Performance and Technology in the American Avant-Garde
THEA 317
Spring 2018 not offered
Crosslisting: AMST 277, FGSS 317

Performance is usually defined by its presence on a stage, by its noise, mess, and theatrical flourish in the here-and-now. Media, on the other hand, is thought of as fixed, repeatable, and unchanging. In this course we will ask: What does it mean for media to perform and, conversely, what does it mean when performance is taped, digitized, and mediated? Using the perceived tension at the intersection of performance and technology, we will explore key performance studies terms such as liveness, presence, ephemera, performance, and documentation. We will examine technology and its uses in performances, as well as the relationship technology has to theories of performance more broadly. We will focus in particular on the relationship between media and performance in contemporary American performance. Students will be asked to contribute to a class website conversation, archive live performance, and produce keyword video dialogues. Texts and artistic sites will include Reza Abdoh, Dynasty Handbag, Adrian Piper, Vito Acconci, Nam June Paik, Todd Haynes, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, My Barbarian, Walter Benjamin, Wendy Chun, Donna J. Haraway, Lev Manovich, Peggy Phelan, Brian Massumi, Lisa Nakamura, Alexander Galloway, and Mladen Dolar.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA THEA
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (AMST)

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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