I think that something all
of us still struggle with is "what is performance?" We've
questioned it from day one. I was too into my head about performance being
theatrical. I like to see performances on a stage and a stage only. Yeah, I
knew that performance art existed. This was more along the lines of Marina
Abromovic. Then I doubted performance when we started talking about things like
twitter plays. I don’t think that is performance at all. And then talking about
things like durationals, which are the complete opposite of twitter plays, seemed
a little bit more like theatre but it still took me away from it.
Performance is stepping
away from the self. We are constantly doing this (performativity)! It’s usually
an attempt to make a point. Hopefully it’s to influence or entertain or both. But
in every single type of performance that we’ve discussed, we’ve brought it back
to being on display somehow. Being vulnerable in front of someone else. Yes,
actors do this on stage all the time. We saw this in almost every instance
·
Naturalism: this is typically found in plays. You
would be doing everything as it happens on stage but you are not yourself.
·
Disruptions: in the Act Up example, people were
dealing with issues that meant something to them. They became vulnerable to get
their message across. It wasn’t for them. It was for a cause.
·
Dark Matter: Getting invested in something that
isn’t there. Relying on something that isn’t there.
·
Performance Art: Marina Abromovic. Yes she was
herself. In a way. She was on display for an audience. As vulnerable as could
be.
·
Environmental Theatre: this is a type of
theatre. It’s obviously performance.
·
Twitter Plays: To put this in the performance
category… (which I hate), we are more vulnerable on the internet than in the
real life. You are not always your self.
I could go on and on. I have a more well rounded grasp of
what performance entails and the various “approaches to the ‘stage’”
I like this. "Performance" in the way that we need to use it really doesn't have any merit if there's not an audience to which the performer can display himself. I'm questioning whether or not someone can "perform" a monologue in a mirror, and if that still fits your definition. He's not really displaying himself for anyone, so it is a performance or is it just... practice? I think we could say that the actor is observing his performance from inside and out, so maybe he's putting himself on display for himself? Or, if he's not, maybe the actor is simply trying to get the words, the movements, all of the technical elements together and in his muscle memory. If his rehearsal is a technical exercise in making sure that it all physically works, that's not really a "performance" in any given way, so that holds up to what you're saying.
ReplyDeleteI'm still curious, though. If I sing along to the radio to entertain myself on the drive home, and there's no one else in the car, I'm not sure if I'm performing or not. What if I were to emotionally plow through all of my thoughts to sort all of them out? Is that not a performance of some sort, or is it a performance wherein I am on display for myself?