Performing Objects

Catalog description

Puppets and objects used in performance collectively fall under the term "performing objects." What is it about inanimate objects brought to life that has compelled storytellers across the globe for centuries? In this course we will explore the potential for movement and story in a variety of materials and objects. How might the qualities of materials and objects inform story, character or event? Throughout the course we will also consider performing objects in a variety of contexts including religious ceremony, political activism, cultural celebration and popular theater. Case studies may include Indonesian shadow plays, Japanese bunraku, Peter Schumann's Bread and Puppet Theater and Victorian English toy theaters to name a few. In each study we will examine the aesthetics of objects as well as the relationship between manipulators and objects and how these values and dynamics change depending on the context and circumstance of performance. Students will create original solo and ensemble performances.