Understanding Performance Theory

I first heard about Exhibit B in a module on contemporary South African theatre. We were covering works produced during the post-apartheid era, and the name Brett Bailey came up a few times throughout the course of this study. His productions were often cited as a source of controversy and much discussion concerning the appropriateness of staging certain events and/or traditional rituals. Now, Brett Bailey is a white, South African male; this heritage implicates him in the painful history of the nation and seems to create borders for the kind of work he can make. Despite these invisible borders however, most – if not all of his productions – feature black performers and follow strong themes of tradition, race relations, colonialism and black culture in South Africa. In a nutshell, his focus can be summarized as an exploration of post-colonialism as influenced by the colonial marginalization of the “other”. Enter Exhibit B . I can say with certainty that I am still uncertai...

Butler’s article on performativity strikes me most on the political front. Before addressing the image above, I would like to go on a small tangent. Having grown up in a newly independent country has afforded me the fading POV of those who lived through the joys of colonialism and the trials of freedom. I refer to colonialism with the word “joy” because many of the stories that circulated in my childhood were often laden with a sepia-toned nostalgia for the days of Her Majesty’s rule. The days of chaos into which the country descended after having been left to its own devices on the other hand, are relayed with from the grim perspective of survival. For instance, an elderly aunt loves to reminisce with delight upon the days when they drank tea out of a tea-pot in a cozy and ate marmite on sliced bread, while my father often says my sisters and I should count ourselves lucky to have missed the wars of Idi Amin and Milton Obote. The aunt in question still has evening tea witho...

Theatre and Performance appear to be two classes of the same kingdom. In this kingdom, theatre occupies the position of the upper class, while performance takes on the middle class position. I gave theatre the position of the upper class because it is in the business of producing canonical works via which the standard of a theatrical activity is assessed. Not unlike old money, theatre relies on the accomplishments of its forebears to maintain a benchmark for the current standard of operation. Performance was given the position of the middle class because it is in the business of challenging said benchmarks and exploring new avenues for creation. Rather than relying on a standard, performance prefers to adapt itself to the ever-changing schematic of society, often including works that do not conform to what is traditional.  Under the law of this kingdom therefore, theatre is best defined as an ancient art form through which society is acknowledged and reflected upon vi...