PERFORMANCE STUDIES

HUAS 6340-001
FALL 2010

Thomas Riccio, Professor

Office #972.883.2016 (voice mail)
Thomas.riccio@utdallas.edu
www.thomas-riccio.net

Class times: R 7:00 - 9:45 p.m.

Office hours: TR 1-3 and by Arrangement
Office location: JO 4.124
Class location: AH2 1.204

Course objectives
Designed to be an introduction to performance studies, this course
will present an overview of the field and its connections to other
disciplines such as anthropology, theatre, philosophy, dance,
feminism, folklore, and cultural studies. Themes examined will include
performance historiography, performance of everyday life, and
performance in relationship to race, gender, politics, and technology.
Special attention will be paid to the issues of “multiculturalism” and
the political, social, and economic context of performance.
Theoretical and historical information will be grounded in and relate
to performance manifestations in and around Dallas. Students will
be asked to consider a wide range of performances -- theatrical,
choreographic, spontaneous, religious, erotic, and political. Through
theoretical readings and close analyses of performances the class
will ask what makes for such a diverse performance culture and how
does it reveal the human geography of the region, nation, and time we
live in. A special emphasis will be applied to approaches to writing
about performance.

Course requirements and Evaluation Criteria

• Performance and event attendance.
• Students will be asked to attend various performance events
and write a series of performance response papers.
• In addition to performance response students will be asked to
write an occasional reading response and/or complete an
exercise related to class work. Total of 5 response/Exercise
papers.
• A longer essay reporting and dealing with interpretative and
historical perspectives of a specific performance will also be
required as a final project. Minimum 6,000 words
• Students are expected to actively participate in seminar
discussions.

Grading 1000 point scale

Papers x 3 (4 page minimum) 45%
Final Project (15 page Minimum) 45%
Participation 10%

Performance Studies 1
 Late or incomplete work is not acceptable
Incompletes will not be given in this class
Plagiarism and cheating is unacceptable
All dates and assignments are subject to change
Assignments will be made with ample time for completion given
please be alert to alterations or corrections in the schedule

Attendance & Class Policy: Two (2) unexcused absences permitted;

however each subsequent unexcused absence will result in the
lowering of one full letter grade per absence. Two late arrivals
(20 minutes + after the hour unless lateness is pre-arranged) will
count as one absence. Note: No Gum Chewing or Eating in Class.
Soft Drinks, Coffee, and water permitted.

Required Reading
• Performance Studies: An Introduction, by Schechner, Richard
Routledge
• !The Cambridge Companion to Performance Studies, !Davis, Tracy
C. (Editor) !Cambridge !
• Theory/Theatre, !Fortier, Mark !Routledge !
• Performing Africa: Remixing Tradition, Theatre, and Culture
!Riccio, Thomas !Peter Lang Publishers

Course Schedule and Weekly Assignments

August 19 Introductions
Outline of work and expectations
The Idea of Performance

Read: PS 1-44

August 26 What is Performance Studies?

“To Perform”
Restored behavior
“Is” and “as” Performance
Read: PS 45-78

September 2 Ritual
Ritual, Play and Performance
Varieties of Ritual
Sacred and secular
Read: PS 79-109

September 9 Ritual Structure, process, experiences

Human and animal performances
Liminal and liminality
Invention and re-creation of Ritual

Read: Theory 17-81

Emandulo in Performing Africa
Assignment #1 DUE

September 16 Play
What is Play?

Performance Studies 2
 Types of Play
Qualities of play
Deep Play, Dark play

Read: Theory 82-150

Politics and Zulus on Tour in Performing Africa

September 23 Performance Event Analysis

Read: PS 110-142
Read: Theory 151-216

September 30 Performtivity
Performatives and speech acts
Postmodernism

Read: Companion 11-45

Bushmen in Performing Africa
Assignment #2 Due

October 7 Simulation
Poststructualism/deconstruciton
Constructions of Gender
Constructions of race
Performance Art

Read: PS 143-187
Imipashi in Performing Africa

October 14 Performing
The spectrum of performing
Acting: Realistic, Brechtian, Codified,

Read: Companion 76-106

Assignment #3 Due

October 21 Trance acting and Shamanism

Masks objects & Performing everyday life

Read: PS 188-225

Final Project Topics Identified

October 28 Performance Process

Process as time-space sequence
Proto Performance “Text”
Process
Training
Workshop
Rehearsal
Warm-up
Public Performance
Contexts

Read: Companion 45-75

Performance Studies 3
November 4 Global and Intercultural Performance
Globalization
Mediated Performance
Impositions and Appropriations
Globalization: Good or Bad?

Read: Companion 106-150

Kenya’s Community Health Puppets in Performing Africa

November 11 Global & Intercultural performance pt. 2

Colonial mimicry?
The Olympics
Brook, Growtowski and Barba
Terrorism as performance

Read: PS 226-273
November 18 Field Research

Read Companion 151-end

Tanzanian Theatre &
Being African Acting French in Perf. Africa

November 25 THANKSGIVING BREAK

December 2 Summing Up

Dec. 2 FINAL PROJECT PAPER DUE

Student Conduct & Discipline

http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/graddean/CAT2008/appendices/Appendix1.htm
http://www.utdallas.edu/deanofstudents/conductguidelines.html

Performance Studies 4