Theatre Symposium, Volume 31
Theatre and the Popular

Chase Bringardner (Edited by), Chase Bringardner (Introduction by), Mysia Anderson (Contributions by), Chase Bringardner (Contributions by), Elizabeth M. Cizmar (Contributions by), Chelsea Curto (Contributions by), Janet M. Davis (Contributions by), Tom Fish (Contributions by), Kyla Kazuschyk (Contributions by), Sarah McCarroll (Contributions by), Eleanor Owicki (Contributions by), Sunny Stalter-Pace (Contributions by), Chelsea Taylor (Contributions by), Chris Woodworth (Contributions by)

9780817370183

Paperback / softback, published 21 June 2024

160 pages, 7 b&w photos
22.9 x 15.2 x 1 cm, 0.454 kg

A new issue of the longstanding theatre journal, documenting conversations that traverse disciplinary boundaries

The essays in the thirty-first volume of Theatre Symposium traverse disciplinary boundaries to explore what constitutes the “popular” in theater and performance in an increasingly frenetic and mediated landscape. Amid the current resurgence of populist discourse and the enduring impact of popular culture, this volume explores what is considered popular, how that determination gets made, and who makes it. The answers to these questions shape the structures and systems of performance in an interaction that is reciprocal, intricate, and multifaceted. Productions often succeed or fail based on their ability to align with what is popular--sometimes productively, sometimes clumsily, sometimes brazenly, and sometimes tragically.

In our current moment, what constitutes the popular profoundly affects the real world politically, economically, and socially. Controversies about the electoral college system hinge on the primacy of the “popular” vote. Streaming services daily update lists of their most popular content and base future decisions on opaque measures of popularity. Social media platforms broadcast popular content across the globe, triggering new products, social activism, and political revolutions.

The contributors to this volume engage with a range of contemporary and historical examples and argue with clarity and acuity the interplay of performance and the popular. Theatre and performance deeply engage with the popular at every level--from audience response to box office revenue. The variety of methodologies and sites of inquiry showcased in this volume demonstrates the breadth and depth of the popular and the importance of such work to understanding our present moment onstage and off.

CONTRIBUTORS
Mysia Anderson / Chase Bringardner / Elizabeth M. Cizmar / Chelsea Curto / Janet M. Davis / Tom Fish / Kyla Kazuschyk / Sarah McCarroll / Eleanor Owicki / Sunny Stalter-Pace / Chelsea Taylor / Chris Woodworth