Carlson

I think we talked the Carlson readings over pretty thoroughly on the 26th. On the distinction between performance and theater, I think a point of interest is the way in which they approach affecting the viewer or audience. In theater, it often seems, you rely on an audience's perception of a character -- an established archetype within the frame of the narrative -- and are able to twist perceptions (as is the crux of modern theater) based on the reality of this character. While characters are present in performance art, often guiding us through a swampy juxtaposition of narration and activity, we recognize these more readily as false or ironic. Basically, the overlap between modern theater and performance is the number interpretations of characters which are opened up.