Queer Performance Studies

Performance has been a key term in many different fields from gender studies (Butler’s concept of performativity) to sociology (Goffman’s “presentation of self”) to anthropology (Turner’s anthropology of performance) and of course theater and art. This course is an advanced survey of interdisciplinary formulations of performance studies. Students will examine a broad range of performances on and off the stage, live and recorded, including performance art, storytelling, celebrations, political speeches, concerts, protests, street happenings, and everyday encounters. We will read key texts in the field and apply them to various modes of performance and sites where we observe and participate in performance. Through the readings, discussions, and assignments, you will develop critical analytical skills with which to consider art and performance and with particular attention to how sex, gender, race, class, sexuality, sexual orientation, and other systems of power shape people’s everyday lives.