Performed Imaginaries

Book Details:

• Author: Richard Schechner

• Brand: Routledge

• Edition: 1st Edition

• Binding: Paperback

• Number of Pages: 196

• Release Date: 25-11-2014

• EAN: 9781138788695

• Languages: English

About The Book:

In Performed Imaginaries, performance studies scholar and artist Richard Schechner offers a compelling collection of essays that explore some of the key themes shaping society in the 21st century. Known for his unique perspective, Schechner delves into a wide range of topics, including:

• The relationship between the avant-garde and terror

• The connection between the counter-cultural movement of the 1960s/70s and the Occupy movement

• The intersections of self-wounding art, popular culture, and ritual

• The Ramlila cycle play of India and its connection to imagination shaping reality

• The corporate world and its relationship to conservative artists

Schechner also proposes that artists redeploy Nehru's concept of the Third World, not as a political movement of nations, but as a coalition of like-minded culture workers. He urges these workers to create counter-performances to combat war, violence, and the globalized corporate empire.

With his characteristic flair, Schechner emphasizes the importance of “playing deeply” to embody new knowledge and perspectives. Performed Imaginaries is a thought-provoking work that challenges experimental artists, activists, and scholars to generate a new “third world of performance” that redefines how performance can influence societal change.