Performance Studies:Performance Studies:Seminar in EnglishSeminar in English

Week 4Week 4Ch. 3-1 Ritual (pp. 45-69)Ch. 3-1 Ritual (pp. 45-69)

Peter Brook’s worksPeter Brook’s worksReference: Victor Turner, Bertolt BrecReference: Victor Turner, Bertolt Brec

hthtIris TuanIris Tuan

RitualRitual

• Rites of passageRites of passage• Contents of the varieties of ritual (p. 45)Contents of the varieties of ritual (p. 45)• 2 main types: Sacred and secular (p. 47)2 main types: Sacred and secular (p. 47)• E.g. weddingE.g. wedding• No rigid separation between sacred and No rigid separation between sacred and

secularsecular• Anna Halprin performs the rituals of eveAnna Halprin performs the rituals of eve

ryday life (p. 48)ryday life (p. 48)

Structures, Functions, Structures, Functions, Processes, and ExperiencesProcesses, and Experiences

• Understand rituals and ritualizing at leaUnderstand rituals and ritualizing at least from 4 perspectives (p. 49)st from 4 perspectives (p. 49)

• 7 key themes to explore (p. 50)7 key themes to explore (p. 50)• Rituals as Actions, as PerformancesRituals as Actions, as Performances• Catherine Bell: Ritual StructureCatherine Bell: Ritual Structure• Emile Durkheim: Ritual and TheatreEmile Durkheim: Ritual and Theatre• Arnold van Gennep: The Rites of PassageArnold van Gennep: The Rites of Passage

Human and Animal RitualsHuman and Animal Rituals

• All animals subject to the same evolutioAll animals subject to the same evolutionary processes.nary processes.

• But animals are not all alike. (p. 51)But animals are not all alike. (p. 51)• Konrad Lorenz: Ritualization in Animals Konrad Lorenz: Ritualization in Animals

and Humansand Humans• D’Aquili, Laughlin, and McManus: The D’Aquili, Laughlin, and McManus: The

Biological Foundations of Ritual (p. 52)Biological Foundations of Ritual (p. 52)• The “ritual tree”The “ritual tree”

Rituals as PerformancesRituals as Performances

• Jane Goodall: Chimpanzee Ritual ChallenJane Goodall: Chimpanzee Ritual Challenge, Chimpanzee Theatre (p. 52-53)ge, Chimpanzee Theatre (p. 52-53)

• George Schaller: Gorillas and Sprots Fans George Schaller: Gorillas and Sprots Fans (p. 54)(p. 54)

• Mood Display (p. 55)Mood Display (p. 55)• The 4 qualities of ritualizationThe 4 qualities of ritualization• Similarities to “restoration of behavior”Similarities to “restoration of behavior”• Rituals are “strips of behavior”Rituals are “strips of behavior”

Rituals as Liminal PerformancRituals as Liminal Performanceses

• ““important parts” of the human body oimportant parts” of the human body often highly exaggerated (p. 57)ften highly exaggerated (p. 57)

• Van Gennep points out the three phasesVan Gennep points out the three phases—the preliminal, liminal, and postliminal—the preliminal, liminal, and postliminal

• Liminal—a period of time when a person iLiminal—a period of time when a person is “betwixt and between” social categoris “betwixt and between” social categories or personal identities es or personal identities

• Victor Turner: “anti-structure”Victor Turner: “anti-structure”

Victor TurnerVictor Turner

• Liminality (p. 58)Liminality (p. 58)• ““Liminoid” (p. 61)Liminoid” (p. 61)• Diagram of the ritual process in relationsDiagram of the ritual process in relations

hip to the liminal, liminoid, and theatre hip to the liminal, liminoid, and theatre (p. 61)(p. 61)

• Anti-structure and Communitas (p. 62)Anti-structure and Communitas (p. 62)• Social Dramas (p. 66)Social Dramas (p. 66)

Ritual Time/SpaceRitual Time/Space

• Peter BrookPeter Brook• The MahabharataThe Mahabharata (p. 63, 67) (p. 63, 67)• Show the clipsShow the clips• Arjuna glimpses Krishna: his face-to-face with Arjuna glimpses Krishna: his face-to-face with

the Absolute (p. 63)the Absolute (p. 63)• Transportations and TransformationsTransportations and Transformations• Temporarily “leave themselves” and be fully “Temporarily “leave themselves” and be fully “

in whatever they are performing (p. 64)in whatever they are performing (p. 64)

Asemo’s InitationAsemo’s Initation

• Spalding Gray (p. 64)Spalding Gray (p. 64)• Rites of passage such as initiations are trRites of passage such as initiations are tr

ansformation performancesansformation performances• A liminal time-space during the process A liminal time-space during the process

of being transformed from boys into Gahof being transformed from boys into Gahuku men (p. 65)uku men (p. 65)

• Relationship between transporters and tRelationship between transporters and transformers (p. 66)ransformers (p. 66)

Social DramaSocial Drama

• 4 phases: 4 phases: • 1. breach1. breach• 2. crisis2. crisis• 3. redressive action3. redressive action• 4. reintegration or schism (p. 66)4. reintegration or schism (p. 66)• The progression in drama and theatre types (p. 6The progression in drama and theatre types (p. 6

7)7)• Turner: Social Drama/Aesthetic Drama (p. 68-69)Turner: Social Drama/Aesthetic Drama (p. 68-69)

HomeworkHomework

• Recording review work (p. 68-69)Recording review work (p. 68-69)• Watch Tadashi Suzuki’s performance tWatch Tadashi Suzuki’s performance t

his weekendhis weekend• Preview Ch. 3-2 & Ch. 4-1Preview Ch. 3-2 & Ch. 4-1• See the film “Othello” in the NCTU librSee the film “Othello” in the NCTU libr

aryary