Overview

Exploring a wide variety of examples of activist performances, such as David Buckel’s self-immolation, and the January 6th capitol insurrection, this book analyses activist performance through the lens of postdramatic theatre theory. Staging Change poses the provocative question: are activists addicted to drama? Scrimer examines the ways in which the performance and reception of protest is informed by the logic of dramatic theatre, and argues that such performative arrangements are so naturalized that they can limit the ability of activists and their audiences to imagine different ways of precipitating change. By combining performance analysis, interviews with artists and activists, and autoethnographic accounts of the author’s own experiences as an environmental activist, the book illustrates the limitations and alternatives to dramatic representation in activist performance. The last decade has seen an increase in political demonstrations worldwide, particularly following the excitement and disappointments of the Arab Spring uprisings. We have seen several notable movements such as the Occupy movement, the mobilization of Black Lives Matter, and the #MeToo movement. In response, scholars, artists, and activists from diverse disciplines have produced an exciting array of practical and theoretical approaches for talking about and thinking through activism. Utilizing these interdisciplinary approaches, Scrimer offers us a theoretical inquiry into the possible applications of Hans-Thies Lehmann’s postdramatic theatre theory in the context of political activism, and subsequently extends an alternative conceptual model for activist performance beyond the dramatic paradigm.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dr Victoria L. Scrimer (University of Maryland, USA, and the University of Mary Washington, USA) ,  Anja Hartl (University of Innsbruck, Austria) ,  William C. Boles (Rollins College, USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Methuen Drama
Dimensions:   Width: 14.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 21.80cm
Weight:   0.440kg
ISBN:  

9781350445635

ISBN 10:   1350445630
Pages:   240
Publication Date:   23 January 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction Politics and the Postdramatic On Activism and Dramatic Theatre Chapter Summary Chapter One: Directing the Activist Gaze Greenpeace: Ordering the Visible On Seeing and Perceiving in The Weavers From Bearing Witness to Being Witnessed Chapter Two: Absent Executioners and the Spectacle of the Scaffold The Self-Immolation of David Buckel Dramatists and Activists A Semantics of Form Chapter Three: When the Play is Not the Thing Political Hobbyism and Deadly Theatre The Mueller Investigation: A Search for Truth in Ten Acts Ritual and Live Readings Chapter Four: Soft Authoritarianism and the Hybrid Drama Dramacracy in Russia Drama and the Distribution of the Sensible Cacerolazo: Ordering the Audible Chapter Five: On Transgression and Resistance A Promiscuity of Form Trump’s Theatre of Cruelty Affirmation of the Irregular Conclusion Bibliography Index

Reviews

Author Information

Victoria L. Scrimer is Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre History and Criticism at Millikin University, USA. She has spent a decade working for social and environmental justice organizations including Greenpeace and First Peoples Worldwide.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions