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    14 views10 pages

    Postmodernism Packet

    Uploaded by

    George Concannon

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 10
    On Postmodernism ~ excerpted from the Routledge Companion to Theatre and Performance, Paul Allain and Jen Harvie, 2006, 191-193, Postmodernism isa range of cultural practices and sensibilities that have developed especially from the 1980s on that reject some of the certainties or “grand narratives,” of modern paradigms of thought. Challenging ideas of coherent identity and universal value and truth, it proposes that these grand. narratives only pretend to represent everyone's interests and actually represent dominant class interests only. Postmodernism explores how meaning is always multiple and contingent on context, audiences and makers, Roland Barthes proclaimed “The Death of the Author” in 1977 and advocated a more democratic understanding ofthe production of meaning by emphasizing meaning’s contingency even in a written text, Postmodern art practice Is often self-conscious, emphasizing process over product In performance Postmodernism takes many forms ~ away from text-based theater and towards devised theatre, as well as the playful and destabilizing approaches to identity that characterize performance art. There is a hybridization of disciplines (Pina Bausch) and multi-media performance (Laurie Anderson) and the visual theatre of Robert Wilson. For many, the work of the Wooster Group epitomizes postmodernism — appropriating text, mixing high and fow cultural source materials and performance styles, mixing media, and a non-linear compositional flow. Postmodernism is controversial ~in its extreme playfulness and its challenge to universality and elitism, its engagement with diverse source materials and ts irreverent humor. For these same reasons its describes by its detractors as elitist, obscure and emotionally and politically empty. The Wooster Group has been subject to criticism for using taboo source materials but leaving them so open ~ that they fall ‘outside of critique and can be read as being condoned. Finally, postmodern performance challenges representational practices but has not yet resolved them. USEFUL TEXTS INCLUDE: ‘Austander, Philip (1997) From Acting to Performance: Essays in Modernism and Postmodernism, London: Routledge. Barthes, Roland (1977) “The Death of the Author.’ In image Music Text, ed and trans. Stephen Heath, London: Fontana. Baudrillard. Jean (1994) Simulacra and Simulation, trans. She Press. Faria Glaser, Ann Arbor: U. of Mich, Jameson, Frederic (1991) Postmodernism, or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, London: Verso. Kaye, Nick (19994) Pastmedernism and Performance, London: Macmillan. Kershaw, Baz (1999) The Radical in Performance: Between Brecht and Boudrillard, London: Routledge. Challenges and Choices _ How woud you define int constttes 2 work of a? Must teeta set of fbjpctne citere? Must it be sesthetially pleasing? Can it be tite? Must ite cteatad with arise Theatre: A Global Experience ~ sootsnarte fom other cultures, reinterpreting plays, and integrating new tech tate their art With the eae of global exchange today, tration and innovation encounter vind transform each other, or coexist around the world. In the United States, wherein ovation and reinvention isa way of life, theatrical forms transform and evolve rapidly. ‘american theate reflects our changing population, demographics economics, and po Stee. To understand today’s teste, we must look atthe farce that ate altering conte porary performance. oles to reinvigo Postmodernism Postmodersisns, which evolved with the worldwide politcal ad socal changes of the Inve erenteth century isa complicated concept without a singke definition It encom poses orc of ideas and trends indifferent isciplines and hs an enormous im Poet on the theaue. in contrast to the view of a world with fundamenel teat, postmodernism poses a world of contadiction and instability, with no grand seme of Theanings or universal. The truths” ofthe pas are sen es constructions of whos in po- Ties powes. What seoms trae to the master might nt seer rue othe slave; wha seems true tra man might not seem ta to a wonian; what seems true to heterosexual might thor sou te to 4 homoserual. For centuries the world was dominated by a Eurocentric, vahite, male hetersswual establishment that exchided and invalidated the pespective of froups outside the power stactre, which it defined s “ober” Today we realize that the ittucal dominance of some groups cin lead to the exploitation and even obiteration of others Postmodernism has invited those whose views were not ineuded in the old world order to constract thee own histories, philesophies, andar forens and has considered all Constructions of equal vlidity. Tis hes calle into question divisions between what used fe be labeled “high art"—that for which there were established formal aesthetic Standards-—and "low art”—the vernacel culture that surroands us, Defying these divi> ‘Goes i ao» pollteal act that brings the artic expressions and wees of previously revginalized or disenfranchised groups to general attention. Newless 0 say. thins cast the longstanding question of what constitureswrt™ in new ight, chs aso engendered Ucbate as to what happens to aesthetic criticism ina world without absolute values, Can nyone sey that work of artis “n0d”or “bad” without being accused of etal bis? ‘Once there was an acknowiedged canon, alist of unquestioned great works: today we question whether any such capon exists, and if does, what it should include. What poult be the place of the old traditional eanon in today’s education, and what time honored works should be replaced by new ones If postmodernism (0 try embraces ultipicty of viewpoints it must ellow the peat works ofthe old rations to stand a8 important objets of stad, even as we make room for new voices to be heard Welingoiehing Fixed forms or traditional styles, postmodernist fel feet mixes and genres to create new forms, This ca be seen cll in many recent theate produc tone Tes not unusal today to see tlm and video mixed with live action in 9 work by ‘Canadisn director Robert Lepage (b. 1957) of tn play by Chilean Ramén Grier ( ToS) puppets on the Broadway stage with Live ators a in Aveuue Q; ora mélange of aeting, gymnostcs, martial at, drumming, slide projections. religious ritual and dane tag. in Cookin fom Kores, Now thereis loa fee borrowing of ste fom oer cule tees that were once seen as inferioy, but are now valued for thir eiference ns seen ia the 1999 Kathakal King Lear at London's Globe Theatre, which incorporated styled “ian theatrical movement, costures, make, and songs with Shakespearean tex, Sout ‘nivca's Ubu The Zulu Mebeth demonstrated that borrowing hes become 8 t60~ tray tect when playwright Welcome Msomi appropriated» Shakespearean text and crsstuted characters from Zula history while eplacing some of Shakespeare’ tnes vith tribal drumming and dancing (see photo at opening of chopter). Avong with these Friew styles have come new organizational systems and new ways of creating and collab- = crating to make theatre, Althoogh much of theatre today continues older traditions, postmodernism has ged the way we lock a the word by creating an openness to other cultures and an “Srareness of how older structures impeded the development of particular ideas snd © forms Aided by globalization, we liv in an era ofevareness that prizes the cultural con tntution of all people. The expresion “the global village” captures the realty of contemporary life and the im posibilty of living in cultural isolation ina world where time and space are comprested ‘through modern transportation and commonication, People travel from place to place ‘ringing their cultural traditions with them, so we are all exposed to diverse theatrical forms in a way unheard of in past generations. Yet despite this constant contact, we sill, easounter forms that seem strange to us, that perples us and defy comprehension. The theatre sa diect reflection of cultural values often the most enigmatic ofthe a's, and today, more thea ever, we need to understand and appreciate dference ‘loblization hae often had significant negative impact on less modernined soci- tris thar Were held together by an ancient cultural glue of community values and rituel performance and are naw threatened by new socioeconomic structures and exposure to modern” festyles, Much taditionalthearee, born in the premodern era, was part ofthe fabric of community life on which it depended for is sustenance. Today, as fewer and fewer peopl live in isolated communities, a new generation questions the cantemporary significance of traditional values and the ancient theatre forms that embody them. As 2 result traditional performance may lose its place as an integral patt of daily existence and an expression of communal values, These forms are often relegated to museum sta- tus in state-run or university theatres, used as cultural symbols and assertions of iden- try, or presented to attract tourists, Unlke other art forms that ean be preserved i _musewms and llraries or on CDs, theatre lives only in the moment of active exchange with live eudience. Once performance form fils to engage is public is survival is threatened, and many encient formas have been forced to adapt to changing times in order to continue, Ironically, while some societies are abandoning their treditional forms, globalization ‘ns salen others to the beanty and interest of these forms. One culture may be bor rowing or appropriating what another cultare i ejecting or forsaking. Sometimes this brings increased communication, but many fea twill dilute or destroy many traditional ‘hearical forms whose very survival may now depend on ther ability to adap! to the contemporary world, ‘Once all politics was loca: tod all politics s global. We ere united in shaved prob lems, tensions, dilemmas, and fears. As the contemporary theatte seeks to address these ‘concerns, it is engaging similar theres and bringing similar forme to urban aodiences the world over. n Tokyo, New York, Paris, Seoul or Sydney, a largely educated, middle las audience can see much ofthe same commercial theatee—Dig,corporate-sponsored productions that tour worldwide, or performances of the established avant-garde that ‘uavel a circait of international theatre festivals and centers. When today’s theatre moves ‘ay from its intimate communal roots, mach of the community-based audience for traditional theatre may be excluded, Iva world without boundaries, where we watch each others lens, eat each oter's food, and use each others goods, we aso see an increasing homogenization of culture. Tote who value cultural dilerence fear the eradication of many performance forms in {ayor of globally disseminated mats popular entertainment. Theatre itself may be an en angered art inthe global electronic era Tracltion and innovation Challenges and Choices What do you thik are the benefits and dsaévantages of global dominated sass enters? . E 66 | Chapter 3 Photo 35 Mis init (6n Mawel re ites sting of banal to ‘nr sbund wo ignores ier echind hi nesepaper he ep tn of the ower pattern 08 the wa, carpets ane fami ings eaproes the way this play Trepsforpe the oediary it she saudi the Ate The tte Caarpany/s NewYork ro dveton of fugene lonescs “The Bal open ane Understanding Plays rs ete traslation by Tia Howe: directed by Ci sb Lay Arsen Oy ah redone ca iy Thee Se ‘probed Ete: ‘ocastfaier Beckett varies the content ofthe two acts and ads details that give the fase hope that Godot may come siding the characters seldeception, The clay structed ara evobiy ofthe characters underscore the angish of living in a Senssess world ‘without the possibilty of self flfllment Serial Structure When play i composed of series of sents that don't follow a continuous 2° eae ey the came character, possess a serial structure Each see may bear stocpendent vignete that could under other circumstances sand on i own. THe aaeerere uch pay ar often thematically related and pve a varied perspective ona Sb etthvogh the fotaposton of characters and exes ater than thrush te 9 seca single tory. some plays scenes maybe urnelated Tike asec of S62 a variety show. ett aracture has been 0 format for popular entertainments is: many times and places Anerican vedevile used # serial format presenting jgules singer, dane retlann and ates one afer nother onthe sm bln the bre wentth en sara ponder playwrights wrote texts tat incorporate ce variety show seni Bar 7 provide the experience of singe pay. We wi ok performances thet cor porate this stractare in Chapter 6. seantuatvlaywright Megan Tery crated a stil sruture for her feminist pays rough the improvisation device of transformations. Cat Dewn Qlier O95), aac ae ends a physical postion forthe actors that can be transformed Ino an 6 sa atfecent context for new characters in the text tory. Actos cea instantaneous ee cape stches through pysical and vocal technique in or to wil dhe next ale ca etc focues on some aspect of female identity and explore the various women's vote peosribed by our soc Whiten in a time of socal uphestl and change For aan ene uy of sera structure throug transformation actully serves asa metaphor for the thematie materia in the pay ae aac a ear forma fora single pay as Become more common, which may th aurtbuted to postmoderniss acceptance of partic, a mixture of ies and forms ‘generally executed in a playful manner that comments ironiclly om the forms ther selves, An excellent example of play that uses a serial structure a8 way of provid ing 2 postmodern perspective is George C. Wl’ (b. 1955) The Colored Museum (A886). The eleven scenes, sometimes comic, sometimes serious, and unrelated to any Single story, explore issues of identity and the struggle of African Americans ta define themselves 2s individuals. Each scene explores a different cultural myth using & cow pletely diffrent sot of characters and # new situation. “Symbiosis” shows a raiddle- ‘aged black businessman strugaing wit his younger self aver che objects of black powes, such as an Afro comb and cashik, that he accumlated in his youth, The older self wants to asimilate into the mainetream middle lass, while the your to express a revolutionary image of black pore. In “The Haiepiec self stil tries wigs—one an Afio and the other with straightened hair—argue over which one of them she should wear to break up with her boyfiend, The Alro wig claims the ad- ‘vantage of projecting “attitude” and accuses the other of being a “Barbie dell dipped jn chocolate” while the straight-haired wig denounces the Afo’s blick authenticity by revealing that she was made in Taiwan. The woman herself, torn etwoen the two i ages she desites is bald. In “The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play” characters drawn fom various Black theatre forms—fiom Loteaine Hansberry’s realism 10 Niozake Shange’s choreopoems—share the stage. The Mama in this sozne satires # popular character type. She is sa much a cliché of Black nidale clas aspiration that she liter= ally blends into she setting around her. With its serial structure and pastiche of dif- ferent dramatic styles, The Colored Museum offers a vatety of perspectives on how t9 express racial identity in a world saturated with recived cultural definitions, Structural Variation: Playing with Time For thematic purposes, playwrights may play with notions of time, bresking with the ‘eo of moving in normal chronological order through a storyline. Several American

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