Performance Studies: The Interpretation of Aesthetic Texts

About this book

The Second Edition of Performance Studies: The interpretation of Aesthetic Texts by Ronald J. Pelias and Tracy Stephenson Shaffer asks students to use performance as a means of understanding the artistic utterances of others. It functions as a practice-based bridge between the long respected tradition of oral interpretation and current trends in performance studies research. The content of the text is presented in four parts: Part I: Performance Studies in Perspective - provides definitions of performance (including both human communication as performance and artistic performance) examples of performance throughout history and a new chapter on everyday storytelling which includes discussions of myths legends folktales oral history personal narrative and ethnography. Part II: Exploring the Aesthetic Communication of Others - outlines methods for creating performance: dramatism analytic voice and body work and discussions of the role of empathy in performance. Part III: The Nature of Aesthetic Texts in Aesthetic Transactions - explores the language and structure of aesthetic texts including literary devices points of view modes of speech and character. Part IV: The Audience and the Expanding Aesthetic - introduces the multiple roles of the audience in performance as well as offers a new chapter on performance art and the way it expands the texts and contexts of performance. Features: Each chapter includes Probes for the student. These may be formal assignments or simply tools for relating the theory to students everyday lives. Each chapter also includes an updated Suggested Readings section. Encourages students to translate their literary insights from the page to the stage and in turn will increase their knowledge of literature Describes the translation process as a communicative artistic therapeutic and critical act Includes a DVD featuring sample solo performances of poetry prose auto performance personal narrative and oral history