The Experience of Place in Performance: A Survey of Site-Specific Theatre

• Main Author: Rorem, Jacob
• Other Authors: May, Theresa
• Language: en_US
• Published: University of Oregon 2014
• Subjects: Performance; Place; Site-specific; Theater
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18346

For practitioners and scholars of site-specific theatre, attempts to understand the relationship between a site and performance have often focused on performance. The many ways a site can inform and enhance the audience's experience of performance has been thoroughly explored, but what about the reverse? How can performance facilitate an experience of place and inform audiences about the value and potential of the places around us? I contend that site-specific performance which privileges place--including its varied histories and meanings--can foster a more thorough consideration of the places we inhabit and equip us to make better decisions about them. This thesis uses three case studies to explore the experience of place in performance and its potential implications. My case studies are Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh's production of Macbeth at the 2013 Manchester International Festival, We Players of San Francisco, and PlaceBase Productions of Minneapolis.