Introduction to Performance Studies
PERF-UT 101 | 4 units | Instructor: Check Albert
This course is an introduction to the field of performance studies. Students are introduced to the concept of “performance” broadly construed to include not just “staged” performances for theatre, film, television, dance, and musical performance, but also performance as a practice of self-presentation; in social rituals and daily interactions; in bodily and speech acts; and in linguistic, visual, and other modes of communication. By studying a wide range of examples that illustrate the varied constructions of the verb “to perform” students are encouraged to consider the social significance of performance, and how it structures our perceptions and social lives. The course is geared toward lower-division undergraduates interested in (though not necessarily familiar with, or specializing in) the study and/or practice of performance.