MATC 2003 Call for Papers

[Penny Farfan]

CALL FOR PAPERS

THEATRE OUTSIDE THE BOX

Mid-America Theatre Conference
Theatre History Symposium

Dates: March 6 - 9, 2003
Location:  Indianapolis, IN

Recent years have seen an increase in discourse concerning the
interrelationship between "theatre" and "performance," with
considerations ranging from how "theatre" and "performance" may co-exist
to debates over which practice is the future of the field.  This
symposium seeks to examine different facets of the relationship between
"theatre" and "performance" by looking at how notions of "theatre" and
"performance" inform one another, while still acknowledging that there
are certain practices that may be conceived as distinctly "performative"
or "theatrical," depending upon the social, political, and cultural
contexts in which they occur.  What are the implications of our
increasingly performance-oriented society for theatre and vice versa?

Papers may address such topics as: how the theories and methodologies of
performance studies can inform and enrich theatre studies, generally and
in particular instances; elements of the theatrical outside of
traditional performance spaces, as, for example, in performed "events";
the role of theatrical convention in performing identities and/or
ritualizing cultural values in unique times and in public or private
places; audience reception and participation as a performative event;
practices that represent, contest, and invert preconceived notions of
both "theatre" and "performance"; "theatrical" sub-genres of
"performance" (eg. the performance monologue, performance theatre);
"performance" responses to dramatic texts; the applicability of theories
of performativity to theatrical practice.

Please send abstracts with a cover letter by November 15, 2002.
Abstracts should be 150 – 250 words long and must include the
applicant’s name, academic affiliation, address, telephone number and
email address.  Final papers should not exceed 9 ½ pages or 2500 words.
Papers will be limited to fifteen minutes maximum!

Please send a copy of your abstract to each of the symposium co-chairs:

John R. Poole
School of Theatre
212 Centennial West
Campus Box 5700
Illinois State University
Normal, IL  61790-5700
Phone: (309) 438-8973
jrpoole at ilstu.edu


Penny Farfan
University of Calgary
Department of Drama
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary
Alberta
Canada  T2N 1N4
Phone: (403) 220-6680
farfan at ucalgary.ca