About Theory Theater Performance
Mission and Structure
Encompassing 39 faculty members from over 20 departments and/or disciplines,Theory Theater Performance aims to foster an understanding of theatre and performance as both practiced theory and theoretical practice. Theatre and philosophy are intimately linked; we see this in Zeami’s writings on noh, Javanese philosophy expressed in wayang kulit, the detailed aesthetics of Indian theatre in the Natyashastra, and in the Greek root thea, which forms the word theorein (theoretical contemplation) and theatron (the place of seeing). Aware of this deep relationship, we study the thinking on and of the stage mindful of its relationship to public spaces. Thus, we approach body, movement, language, and other aspects of performance together in light of theatre’s geopolitical dimension, as a site of thinking. Whether scholars in this group study historical constellations or contemporary theatre and performance, our research is driven by curiosity about the presence of historical formations and figurations in the modern world.
Additionally, we have a TTP Writing Group, a TTP Reading Group, and regular events happening across campus.