THTR 250 Performance Research
Performance is a term that encompasses a wide range of human activities, including artistic, religious, political, and social practices. In this course students will consider how performance and theatre differ, and then learn how to use performance to critically analyze and research the world around them. Historically, performance has served as a critical and analytical focus for many disciplines; therefore, theoretical readings will be culled not only from theatre and performance studies, but also areas such as anthropology, animal studies, gender studies, queer studies, disability studies, and critical race theory. Assignments will emphasize developing research and analytical skills for working with primary sources in the form of live performances and documentation of historical performances. Performance as a research technique and mode of knowledge in and of itself will also be explored through assignments designed to use embodied practice as a means of knowing and understanding.