Intercultural Puzzles.

Richard Schechner and the Anthropology of Theatre in the 20th Century Author(s): Kees Epskamp Source: Anthropos, Bd. 98, H. 2. (2003), pp. 499-509 Published by: Anthropos Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40467338 . Accessed: 21/09/2013 15:46
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Anthropos
98.2003: 499-509

Intercultural Puzzles
RichardSchechner and theAnthropology of Theatrein the 20th Century
Kees Epskamp

Abstract. - The article focuses on the historyof the early its significance for work(1969-1985) of RichardSchechner, of the anthropology of performing the development arts,and his presentsocial critiqueon the changingpoliticsof culture withVictor since the end of the 1980s. In close collaboration of performing artsduring Turner he developedan anthropology and theeighties.Fromthe mid-1980s,Schechner theseventies in interculturalism. He is of theopinion to show interest started turns out to be moreimportant thansharing thatsharing culture This view was strengthened one and thesame politicalsystem. thefallof theBerlinWall, and theearly the 1990s,after during 2000s by the breakdownof the Twin Towers. Unique about his scholarly and editorial is thefactthatapartfrom Schechner as a theatre director. workhe is well-known [Anthropology of Victor structuralTurner, arts,RichardSchechner, performing arts ismandpostmodernism, ideologicalsystems, globalization, and politics,intercultural communication]

extra-academic workin thefieldof performing arts is also of importance to the development of his ideas in the realm of anthropological studies of theatre. In 1980 he paid a visit to MickeryTheatrein Amsterdam to delivera lecture on therise and fall of the (American) avant-garde. In 1998 Richard Schechnerwas inviteda second time to present in the Netherlandsa previsionary lecture. The PassePartoutFoundation invited him to deliver the 3rd International Lecture in Performing Arts (ILPA) in Utrecht. Duringthiseventan exchange of ideas took place betweenSchechner,students, theatreproducers,and a theatre-minded Dutch audience. at Leiden UniverKees Epskamp studiedSocial Anthropology The motiveforPassePartout to inviteRichard Sciences sityand was awardeda Ph.D. in Politicaland Cultural to the Schechner Netherlands was at that time in 1989. He was relatedas of Amsterdam at the University he an article the mid-nineties in publishedduring School of the Arts(1994-2002) and to the Utrecht consultant of theM.A. courseTheatreforDevelopment The UNESCO-Courier (1997), a magazine with examiner external at King Alfred'sUniversity College (2000-2004). He is coordi- a worldwide circulation.In this article he inof WorldHeritagein theNationalUNESCO Commission nator quisitivelyglanced across the thresholdof the fieldof interests is His current (NATCOM) of theNetherlands. millenniuminto the 21st century,yet to comand intangible theatre arts, heritage. performing anthropology, Theatrein Search of Social Change.The Relative mence. Publications: TheatricalApproaches (The Hague of Different Schechnerhas published this kind of evaluaSignificance 1989) and severalarticleson theatre anthropology. tive discoursesat more than one occasion in the past. In his 1980-lecturein Amsterdamhe had used defeatistterms regardingthe "end of the who daredto speak of avantgarde"(1980). In his view, with the arrival researchers One of thefirst was Richard of the postmodernism of theatre" and "anthropology theatre duringthe seventiesof the the humanistic progressive thinking Schechner,an Americanscholar of performance last century, theEnlightstudies dominating he teaches performing studies.At present Europe and Americafrom at the Tisch School of the Arts,New York Uni- enmentonwards,disappeared.Schechnerdid not, s however,rejectpostmodernism. Besides his academic career,Schechner' Instead,he asked versity.

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Kees Epskamp

a show oftheatre, what kind could a metro andworld hall,a stockexchange building, performance, art In a or a street, swimming be madein terms ofpostmodernism. window, pool. short, cultures "other" it is with as of life as It is thiscombination disof critical part daily political cultural American ourEurointheanthropol-outside course andhiscontinuing interest sphere. aware of the became makers theatre hima unique which makes Hence, arts, ogyofperforming of theway and in to environments This various studies. in thefieldof performance scholar play offered the to the use to his is meant to be an introduction article opportunities setting spatial early betheatre" "Environmental the his for and in theatre work (1969-1985) staging play. anthropology of number in a came a interest of his as evolved out social Moreover, perforslogan.2 critique present in 69," "Commune," the1990s mancessuch as "Dionysus from ofculture into the changing politics andHer "Mother of Crime," "TheTooth onwards.1 Courage andhisgroup Schechner and"Oedipus" Children," in a newway, time tothepublic, introduced every The and worked in which the Audience played. they garage Participation tookplace, theperformance entire space- where - was orparticipated observed theaudience was well- where Schechner from hiseditorial work Apart foreachproduction. rebuilt level.For the totally on thepractical known performing durtheatre of making characteristic A second to it is of this discourse, pay clarifying unfolding - ing thisperiodwas to strive at audience to thishere.In 1965 Schechner someattention particto Adamsandcomposer ipation.This was quite normalwithregard Franklin painter alongwith too. and of theatre forms Western theNew Orleans Paul Epstein founded genres, Group. nonwere makers theatre of Tulane In thattime,experimental (The threemen were on the faculty In traditional the theauspicesof NOG, in May leaving Under playhouses. proscenium University.) in and theatres small-scale the "enAmerican directed thefirst "off-off," projects 1967,Schechner thepublicwas seatedon theplayers' to use audience theatre" work vironmental partici- on location was no longer s "Victims lip. Lookingat "framed Ionesco' ofEugene a production pictures" pation, and unrest meant a to theatre the case. moved Schechner of Duty."In September 1967, Going even often were You action. he founded thereafter addressed, to New Yorkwhere directly shortly TPG Thiswasthecase ofthe toparticipate. was invited "ThePerformance (TPG). The group Group" in In this in 69." on its own performance able to purchase piece due "Dionysus production space andinvited to the skin the actors all "The course named which was New Wooster Street, York, stripped too. their take off to audience the metal works In this former clothes, Performing Garage." Greekdrama of the ancient withTPG stagedambitious This adaptation Schechner factory, scenesin suited Bacchants" "The reSchechner theatre environmental Euripides by productions. to thecult related ofTPG until 1980.The thenudebecauseof theorgies director mained theartistic - which of Dionysus.For Schechner heremeant then becamethe"Wooster nudity Group" Group Fine but also equality. in The Performing stillis headquartered Garage. not only vulnerability, makefinebirdsand thusthedifference feathers which theatre It was a time practitioners during of theauand members actors between to strip thetheatre oftheyokeof"middle- in status sought a shared one experienced clothes Without A first dience. ofart andculture. class"valuesintherealm also OtherTPG productions at theend of the "ritualinitiation." characteristic of making theatre In of theseventies is thefact used variouskindsof audienceparticipation. sixties and beginning in" to "stand were asked be madeaccessible that theatre should and,above "Commune" spectators the In "Mother the as Vietnamese If youwanted to familiarize Courage" all,havea vision. villagers. of as to full a served actors manin thestreet withtheatre, supper spectators part you had to make canteen. in locations: of theatre on themostvaried public Courage's ofmakcharacteristic third us tothe Thisbrings the collective that theatre way during period: to thetitle ing of thisarticle is more or less similar 1 The title at and directors Actors experimented in of working. in whichthistexthas been published of thebooklet indeand own their en making Schechner performances, plays Dutch, i.e., "Interculturele puzzels.Richard

het theater in de 21e eeuw,"published by PassePartout on thecontents Editorial comments Foundation (Utrecht). associated is mainly "environmental" theterm in July 2 At present himself Schechner ofthisarticle madebyRichard environmental andusedbythe with I am very to him- anda final 2002 - forwhich ecosystems responsible grateful of no longer Schechner Forthis reason on movement. in thisoverview checkby himon thefacts contained speaks theatre." butof"site-specific theatre" "enviromental in thetext. hiswork, havebeenintegrated 98.2003 Anthropos

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of thestanding In that filledthe air to celebrate tradition. or pendent literary joy, lamentgrief, context Schechner servedas a companion of a commemorate disaster. moreor less "collective The performances were a celebration forthe working process"from This fitted which com- actors as well as the public and could take performances developed. in thelineoftheantiauthoritarian environment. The audience pletely philoso- place in whatever the theadvocate often tookpart in theperformance. against phy, aversion leadership, spontaneously ofcommunal andadministration. Itwas The audiencewas active,either as life, work, applauding, in terms a time ofshared of in mass scenes or a sidekick participation authoritya supernumerary andmanagement within each institutional before thefootlight himself organi- stepping by dancing a an a or albeit a a Theatre worked here zation, factory, office, university, telling story. "catching" or a a theatre These and it was a collective jail, group, hospital. thoughts experience. TPG occupied. Within the whatone was looking forat kept group communality Thiswas exactly was strived thiswas also theend of the sixties. at. And consequently At thattimeSchechner' s - a At those first done whenmixing withthe audience. book "PublicDomain"(1969) appeared moments one strived at a communal ofessaysin which he critically reviews experience, collection theAmerican too. theatre as it evolved system during thefifties and earlysixties. He also asks himself outloudwhere "homoludens" in theviews stays on actingexpressed PassionfortheExotic directors such as by great and Brecht. He then takes a close Stanislavsky theatre look at his own workand development of practising These threecharacteristics of the a visionin whichsocial second halfofthesixties andownsup to thefact neededa "philosophy," hecannot of thattimeas well as theviewson that cometoterms with tendencies either the poetics couldbe integrated. Sucha conclu- ofAristotle nor with theliterary theatre ideasofexponents making in themainstreamexpressed siveviewwas notto be found to explain how bythe"NewCriticism" a renewed historic he looksat theatre andperforming arts. of Western Schechner Therefore, society. inthetheatre the"dark"ages of European summed work interest tothat concerning up hispractical archives timein his nextbook,"Environmental notlaiddownincourt thehistory Theatre" history, in 1973. camein to being. andclerical records, published a newwaveofinterest Theatre to Schechner is all about Attheendofthesixties according Atlantic outside theNorth conarosein cultures world, spokenlanguage("speech acts") mutually to makeup an enigma which countries were oftenin nected enchants too. New decolonized you of colonial ties and from whichyou cannot the news due to the severing keep youreyes.He in this.It mustbe considand through therecently independency.sees nothing literary acquired ered to people making have to read about one did not Moreover, something only quite normal an illiterate countries entered to Schechfrom those these cultures. up society.According Images In ner(1969:77-79),this has beenclearly to television. thanks thelivingroomdirectly by proven in his structural feasible" Lvi-Strauss it finally became"financially addition, analysesof myths andhanded albeitforthe disseminated down of to go on an "expedition" orally, bymeans yourself, a s Mexican border. Lvi-Strauss' across the American "performance." approach appeals only average were to Schechner, because: Performances The worldwas in motion. In LatinAmerica nottiedto playhouses anymore. is a analytic method from operating theatre Structuralism comeacross onewould andthePhilippines concrete It makes no difference between form examples. the in churches, just like during performances and contents. The structure is the the of composition MiddleAges,or danceandmusicwere European - andthese can in contents arrangements many shapes of the church. in the squarein front performed andatthe same time be present ina single work ofart. inter- . Structuralism and theatrical In Asia ritual performances is suitable for the theatre it because [. .] to be elaborates at temple sites.Theatre appeared mingled oftransformations, transactions systems upon In Africa andinteraction: inlocalsociallife. embedded thescenic ofa performance" completely language would end in elaborate (Schechner theatrical 1969: performances 105). disasters Be it natural dance parties. (drought), life According in thecommunity disasters toSchechner (war) or human (1969:237) thesamegoes a peace for facts suchas a harvest, orjoyful ritual. In hisview, thedifference between ritual (death), as soonas there was something and theatre a marriage, lies morein a functional difference treaty, musicand dance within or to be sad about, to celebrate social life,the difference between belief
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andentertainment, between and"make "believing" believe"thanin thecredibility and possibility to theritual or theatrical Hence, performance. repeat had no (moral it stands to reasonthat Schechner the theprinciple, or else ethical) problems basing of in 69,"upona ritual of"Dionysus "birth ritual" and New Guinea, theAsmat Irian, peopleofWest of also drawing on a "cycleplay"of theOrokolo Micronesia.

of the"Ramcaritmanas" ("Ramaday enactment himfor that was to occupy yana"),theRmll, his In order to thenextquarter complete century. the across he visited research Ganga Ramnagar to oftimes a number Varanasi river from (Banaras) attended most He fieldwork. do additional recently in 2000. theRmffl withits ampletheatIn New York,however, and studied also visited Schechner ric offerings, he theatre Korean or Chinese, genres, Japanese, and Islamic Buddhist with dervishes, monks, spoke in studied dancers IndianKathakali The Explorer (after having Kathakali basic the as a a practical student, way, in Cheruthuruthy, at the Kalamandalam Schechner training Attheendofthesixties seventies, early avant- Kerala in 1976). He had alreadymet withthe to a disputed and his TPG thusbelonged visits Indians American rituals oftheNorth behind during intellectually garde.He could notremain went His interest landsin Arizona. tribal his own diary to their In thecourseof theyears, either. as Indians ofthePrairie thepowwows in thearticles andbookshe wrote. outto both notes returned oftheYaquisin festivities Schechner totheWaehma s terminology, To recallLvi-Strauss' (Easter) border. neartheMexican turns out to be a truebricoleur Arizona at thatmoment festival of theRmll his analyses tohispractical Especially hisintellectual wholinks capacities liked tolook Schechner that theresearcher intothe proved kinds ofproducts various efforts to bring eventthrough is by at thiscommunal to himifthis It makes no difference market. anthropological and anaorbooks.As longas he is glasses (1983:151-211).He described means ofperformances and of a as as longas he has a voice. heard, lyzedthe entirety play oppositions the over from the"scienceof the transformations. he departs extravaganza However, Presiding of Ramais theMaharaja thegod-king Instead celebrating oftheseventies. concrete" atthebeginning even on an seated exotic books about oftranslating from However, Banaras, elephant. knowledge thanhe, the giantpuppets inhisperformances, intoa direct representing higher usability peoples of deitiesand demonsshow off, with the multitude to becomeacquainted the moment arrives a divine actors them on location. In 1971, he visitedIn- whilebeneath the theatre play perform common the dia together withhis wife,(at the time)actress and thespectators peorepresenting a season,whenthe and worship of ple participate members Joan one of thefounding Macintosh, believedto be present Hindugods are actually TPG. wit- incarnate. andMacintosh In 1972,Schechner briefly is spellbound nessed severalritualsand a so-calledsing-sing Schechner daythirty-one bythis strucnarrative's the of in the Eastern withthe Tsembaga by grand longperformance, Highlands of Rama's greatwar a more turewhichtells the story after This"field NewGuinea. coming trip" torecover Rvanainorder thedemon meant as a way against in Indiawas mainly extended king stay Rvanahas kidnapped. buthardly to experience newimpressions, enough SM, thewoman-goddess, into 30 separate is broken this The grandnarrative moreextensive fieldwork. forfurther, During five daily episodesphysically andMacintosh almost Schechner throughout performed spent period of RamnaandBali, the manyand variedenvironments inSouth months andSoutheast Asia,Java - as for the thousands of thePhilippines, Korea,andJapan. gar. For Schechner interbecome and their "Mother Indians In 1976,TPG toured Indiawith present story reality whenthesoundof thechanted suchas India mingled In a Brecht-loving nation strophes Courage." Tulsidas's16th-century theRmacaritmnas, didnotgo downwelleverywherefrom this presentation - however, Sanskrit moreancient of Valmki's theIndians were for themost very Hindiversion part the followed is this environmental theatre to dialogues spoken by approach "Rmyana," receptive of the manycharacters Schechner and other of the actorsportraying to Brecht. It also afforded life comes to a one month re- thestory. members of TPG to renewand deepentheir myth During mix.Themultitudes in- andplayandeveryday withmanyIndiantheatre workers, reality lationship ofthegodsamidst thephysical Ebrahim celebrate Badal Sircar, Jalan, presence Shyamanand cluding out in their and Amal Allana. Schechner and Nissar view, them, Alkazi, they playing the story theseconthe HomoIndiens For so well. know of the thefirst time also sawfor thirty-one portions
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- there - are regions. more In their tradictions andtrials in thejungle, are,ofcourse, many struggles as contradictory. notexperienced areinitiated. afRama,St,andLaksmana When, in theenvironment ter14years Even Scheduler's interest ofexileandwar, arereunited with they is well dealt while studying this Rama's other of the setting Bhrataand Shatrughna, brothers, each a new Rama and St are prepared to rulein peace and Indeed, day many festivity. daylong in at a new location the over takes their place city justice kingdom. episode In theforest, Sometimes one plays againstthe whenRama's belovedStis abof Ramnagar. of ancientpartsof the city, ducted thedemon of(Sri)Lanka, natural backdrop byRvana, king is she an thenagain a place of historical additional ordeal.At importance undergoes initiatory or a charming intoa courtyard bower the end, however, a reunion transformed takesplace on all to the scene. Sometimes of relevance of thefamily, spots of levels:on thelevel of thelovers, are of the of for the reconstructed and the cosmos. state, story importance mythical Herefiction, on a vacant plotoflandinthecentre. too. Of and reality intermingle, history, everyday to be the stretch however, travelled, is, Savage Mind importance one and the actors both Indeed, public. replays by invited in which "the Schechner to participate a story journey" playsan importantIn 1977,Turner in a 10-day conference on ritual andperformance role. Turner was organizing attheBurg Wartenstein A fixedpartof each daily episode consists that Turner andSchechner fromstage A to stage B. For in Austria. hadknown each of a procession in other's buthad never metfaceto face.But of suchprocedural theanalysis events, work, caught did meet- at a preliminary couldhardly discussion of time, Schechner theflight apply once they - they theconference before became s structural Lvi-Strauss' analysisand he turned somemonths The friendship flourished the processanalysisdevelopedby the fastand deep friends. towards in 1983. Schechner had acquired until Turner's death Turner. Turner Victor untimely anthropologist withEdithTurner, in making Victor a manyyearlong process also becamefriendly experience wifeand collaborator, as well as with rituals Turner's initiation and healing of various analyses ofTurner's Turner several closest intellectual in Zambia (Africa). companions amongthe Ndembu theanthropologist Barbara ofhisethnographic especially also useda structural Myerhoff analysis in theearly1980s). had leantheavily (whoalso diedyoung, WhereLvi-Strauss material. Schechner andTurner worked on sevsuchas developed model together analysis upona linguistic Turner lectured and in derived eral Turner later and de Jakobson, projects. participated by Saussure Schechner at New York convened froma sociologie workshops the basics for his approach by a large Turner andSchechner model, University. prepared developed byVanGennep. Conference on Ritualand Performance" ortheat- "World on social,ritual, basicvision Turner's first inArizona near theYaquitribal a middle, that convened is: all havea beginning, ricalprocesses came This is, indeed,the mostclear lands and laterin New York.Participants and an ending. over the world. from all The ritual ritual, generally regarding performances. in each interest Due to theirsinceremutual of thoseto be withtheisolation starts speaking, the of Schechner and and other's ideas of both initiations initiated. relationship boys Regarding in their altered the Turner far from are "uninitiated" these something permanently kept girls, - and by extension in thefields fromtheirfamiliar personal growth village.They are separated what was to become and takes of then as such initiation The peranthropology surroundings. Where Schechner until then studies. members formance and the of the in the absence people place termsas handyfigurative them. Oncethis used anthropological surround whonormally ofsociety to explainto the reader as an initi- language(metaphors) arewelcomed has passed, they period and the aboutthetheatre intotheir of thesociety atedmember profession communityhis writings his "Performative Cirand staging, artof acting a lotofmusicandfestivities. with Fromthe AvantGardeto Ramlila" and reen- cumstances. Thesestagesof departure, isolation, became Theater andAnthropology" 1909) and"Between tryto whichVan Gennep(1960, original at an volumes to as separation, also referred anthropological essentially aiming marginalization, no Schechner to Schechner view of the world.For example, and rintgration are, according theWestern actor "as if that actor studied fes- longer to theRmffl (1983:249f.),also applicable shamanism to SM is exiled was shaman. Ramaafter tivities. No, he now studied Indeed, marrying out something moreaboutacting. a Laksmanato distant find withher and his brother Clearly
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andincluding convened a a workshop now beganforSchechner, bySchechner periodof reflection Turner as oneoftheco-teachers which ofresearch he nowallowed himself, Victor (alongwith period and Edith retreatedGoffman, at theend of TPG's Indiatour, Turner). Myerhoff, having never A numberof fellow anthropologists had Muchof thiswork artistic leader. as group's of "wild this welcomed met.But the warmly and Turner Schechner thinking" the begunbefore Turner as if it weretheir fedbothmen almost couple. However,they could not get meeting Turner eachother. to influence passedawayin 1983and annoyed. greatly destiny came with s Schechner' radical consehad also suddenly meetings Turner MeetingSchechner unfinished behind left Turner end. to an some For Turner. and Edith for Victor many quences in ideas. Schechner(along with coeditorWilla timeTurner (1982) lookedat "social dramas" based on and his research Appel) tookcare of the "Festschrift," his anthropological development and Ritual on Conference World the the Performance, as developed method on theverstehende by in 1990 the book entitled German "By Dilthey(1833-1911). and published phenomenologist of Studies Intercultural of Performance. Means analon a In order to get a better process grip chance the had Turner Herein Ritual." and Theatre a to he wished of social dramas, develop ysis in the to posthumously of experience, intomoments better pose the questionthathurts insight in theirlater years: was too he of dramatic event. a Hence, anthropologists many experience . . ., and if universal "Is there s also mesmerized culturally anything conception key by Dilthey' Erlebnis. so, what?" and tranBecauseof themonumental, unique, Turner it was, indeed, of theatre sientcharacter Comesto an End in anthro- Everything theterm whoresuscitated performance thelinguist He usedit,following Chomsky pology. Several toSchechner. notas the"speech Many La Barre, andtheanthropologist years happened things of artistic his India his third in after butmore acts"opposite directorship trip competence," "language and Times in 1980. an end to came TPG Goffman Goffman. thelineof sociologist changed Erving needs.Elizabeth also thegroup'sartistic looked at thereby had indeedas earlyas in the fifties since a Performance suchas hospitals, social institutions Groupmember jails, theatre LeCompte, dis assistant Schechner' one time and at the like and town 1970, universities, halls, playhouses, in 1980. artistic the over took with them as "total institutions," many rector, directorship regarding had rathegroup to M. Van derJagt in publiclifeand According "socialperformances" polished 4 s views Schechner' behind dically and social dramas even moresquabbling f.).To (1986: dropped audience of means in Goffman change thescenes.Whatappealedto Turner participation society by the seventies. a softview from of daily was considered was thelatter' s questfora "dramaturgy a new theatric demanded The eighties life." language. nonauthoritarian and of Instead dared therefore, Hence,Turner 60-93), nonmanipulative (1979: now the company of the audience, too. approaching of "performance," an anthropology to write means for severe "Wooster The mostfascinating aboutTurner (1982) was, renamed Group" opted he wished to study the"anthro- to showthepublicwhatmanipulation thefact is, without however, however.3 but becoming notonlytheoretically ofperformance" didactic, pology s These changesdrew a bill on Schechner' He wished to maketheErlebnis also practically. and his reasonfor self-searching. syllabus. development partand parcelof the anthropologist's withhim,too. aboutthere- Ideologymade place forrealism Parallelto his (courseof) lectures Theatre the searchon the Ndembuin Zambia he saw to it In 1980,he paid a visitto Mickery on there a lecture delivered and rewrote thathis students partsof his ethnogra-in Amsterdam fall of the rise and albeit the later to be performed, (American) avant-garde. phiesintoscenarios, and The processof making without spectators. thepsychologic-realistic performance 3 The WoosterGroup is quite famous among the theatreundergoing He hadno wassufficient for Turner. ofthese rituals because of thecollabmindedaudience in the Netherlands to become a whatsoever then GerardJanRijnders, stagedirector. orativeworkdone withdirector pretension later as And Toneel. of Het director a guests For him it was part of a learning regular Zuidelijk process, where theyscored a full house everytime in Amsterdam The fieldstudy forpractical training. preparation In the late 1990s and early visited the Netherlands. they came forthis"performed ethnography" impetus 2000s, especially Dutch directorCarina Molier and The In fact, the from Turner's workwithSchechner. Need Company seem to be inspiredby the work of The in was WoosterGroup. first ethnography actually staged performed
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In it he lookedback at the theatre workdone power, is moreimportant than whereby imagery in thesixties and seventies to arrive at a "better "therealthing" andwhereby theprocess to arrive namesof theatre makers re- at something is indeedin itself"performance." society." Returning ferred to constantly are: Grotowski, stillaccording to Schechner, thehuman Barba,Cage, Finally, restin thefact must Wilson, Foreman, Childs, Paxton, Back, beingin postmodern Paprow, society thestate losesinfluence cultural life. Malina,LeCompte, Monk,Glass, Dunn,Weiss, that regarding andSchechner himself. In a multicultural theindividual has the society Fromthispractical to chooseculture and thesharing of culture experience ringsthrough right for into thediscourse, that Schechner a newperiod shallbring abouta larger ofpower formation and had commenced; of thinking a than the of one and the same postmodernism, solidarity sharing can only link withthe end of political termSchechner system. theend of a clearview on changes, thislast theorem Schechner humanism, Regarding along the end of the "grandand all encompassingwithmanyothers was provenright within five Humans narratives" no are The were characterized a (1982:95-106). longer years. eighties by growforall things. themeasure in culture and religion the ing fundamentalism for in both litstudies whole world over. With the of all Typical postmodernism collapse nearly as in anthropology, but also in art in communist erature conflicts regimes, political-ideological is: theyonly refer to themselves. One during thenineties resulted intoessential cultural general art about theatre about andone conflicts. creates Reasonenough to strive at an intercultheatre, art, aboutanthropologists. That tural theseparate writes within nations. anthropology society is is to say: art deals withart,just as theatre deals with and anthropology madeabouttheatre illusions aboutindi- Artist The ultimate and Theorist anthropologists. of theartists and thefictitious vidualoriginality are Schechner of theanthropologist as researcher is just as passionate abouthis theoobjectivity theepigone is retical In theartsand literature activities as he is abouthis artistic launched. ones. and quotations However,his theories and artistic to becomethe standard elevated productions limited similarities. bothin wordand image.There- showvery He is wellaware of reignsupreme, andtheatre that. As a theorist he tries to explainsomething. both fore, practitioners anthropologists he often holdsa completely as starting takethemselves different study. As an artist pointof their a renewed attention view. Hereintheyare assisted by of As a scholar anda theorist to writing as meansof expression Schechner foresees a with regard in the and last need for theatre as an form in and art the 21st declining experiences impressions, only in socialandcultural century. As an individual artist he shall, however, Certainly placeofthoughts. and since continue to theatre. As an artist he is not such as sciences, produce history anthropology, in one his linked to theories. His old of literature, deeply necessarily engaged illustrating closely days is muchmorelimited of the written word. styleas an artist thanhis the "completeness" doubts as a theorist or historian. As a scholar, or of anthropo-interest of historic processes Descriptions in his holds much a form of construction he more remain fieldwork view, responsibility logical He considers bothto be two choicessuchas the thanas an artist. besidesintellectual whereby, there areoverlaps. Thishe to write writer's from, lives,although open choices separate perspective and he written about inthe to make loves has this also take nature of a more place, profusely literary ofperformance theories. the to a certain the monograph However, degreereadableor framework such facthe has done several or even"exciting." open-air productions Anthropological descriptions as literary productions on unusual occasions does notimply and theanthropologist as belleslettres in post- that theatre forresearch form artist (see fn. 2) is characteristic site-specific subjects popular Schechner has hardly forhis productions. dealt modern anthropology. in his theatre theatre can be summa- withsite-specific For Schechner practice postmodernism the past twenty he has rizedby meansof tencharacteristics (1982: 120- during years,although the1970s. aboutit elaborately it boilsdownto: thehuman 124). In short, being written during His qualitiesas a stage director and theatre that must rest inthefact inthepostmodern society havebeenputto gooduse in various atdifferent placesall thetime, practitioner things happen many informed around we areimmediately theworld. Sometimes thepieces which about through locations of whichwe he produced of communication, werein English. manychannels Generally speaking, withalternating intentions and they wereversed in a language noticesomething other than English.
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Puzzles4 Therehe staged Multicultural in SouthAfrica. He has directed Wilson's"Ma Rainey's AfricanAmerican August rebasedonanunequal This was the first Black Bottom." is,inessence, professionalColonialism visible not Structures directly ofpower. American ofanyAfricanplayin South lationship production areimposed andeconomy In 1989 in Shanghai Africa. politics (China),he directed butinfluencing asked.The no a newChinese with thePeoplesArtTheatre play by the colonialpower, questions materiraw and resources the deliver of colonized by Sun Huizhoudealingwiththe aftermath final the determines colonist the but Revolution the 1966-1976 era theCultural product. als, of theendof the14th colonialism culture whenthe traditional began to be under The European the until has in thiswayleftdeep traces in real timethe eventson century fire.Simultaneously colonial the Schechner to The unrolled. in An Min Tien the day.According present Square Peking cases stillexistin condo in many to relationships Schechner recommended US StateDepartment theatre. intercultural and multicultural so before did he and leave, completing temporary abruptly culofcertain talkofa dominance tookover There His Chineseassociates theproduction. is,as yet, discussion social the with not about tural andtheplaywas shown rehearsals thefinal styles tallying worldon multiculturalism, Atlantic shutit down.In in theNorth the authorities 10 timesbefore andcultural his own adaptation interculturalism, 1995 and 1996 he directed diversity. between makesa clear difference Schechner at Taipei (ROC) with "Oresteia" of Aeschylus' his inmulticulturalism and interculturalism The entire Theatre. (see the Contemporary Legend is Multiculturalism P.Pavis with of terview in the classical was [1996]). style performed trilogy of lanof a enormous Orchard" the coexistence thePekingOpera.Chekhow's variety "Cherry andopinions, traditions cultural literature, theatre guages, theprofessional in Hindiwith he directed in a other and New in of Drama School arts, the National of arranged theatre, performing company more becomes eachpart Schechner Delhi (India).In themeanwhile, kept kindof mosaicin which of themany of theexistence in New and moreconscious in theUSA, mostly making productions of multiculturalism Characteristic in 1994a new company, other he founded Yorkwhere fragments. and obscures a certain it suggests East Coast Artists ECA, Schechner is that equality (ECA). With of relations rather or real social the called oftheFauststory, hisownversion directed relationships are cultures to Chekhov's He hasalso staged According multiculturalism, power. "Faust/gastronome." "Hamlet" equal butnotthesame. "ThreeSisters"(1998), Shakespeare's that is based on the theory Multiculturalism Godot" for Beckett's "Waiting (2000),andSamuel that essential has an cultural each quality, entity (2002). We haveKoare equal and comparable. In cultures still learnsfromhis journeys. Schechner and one rean,Ugandan, is that lessonhe draws an important Dutch,theFlemish-Belgian, addition, world ideal In an cultures. other from and left" to "borrow not should they Franco-Belgian right try own place in a kindof mosaic, is his all occupytheir use processes" "Don't use items, cultures. all thepiecesfit Don't graba Chau or a Noh maskor a a jigsawpuzzleintowhich motto. prethan more of A in use it to then Kathakali sympathetic speech figure gratuituouslyyour cisely. step ideaofthe American honored time Discoverwhatlies at thebasis the own production. melting pot: but appearas a white, andmakeuse of you go insidedifferently of sucha maskor choreography In that American. ownskillof Anglo-Saxon, to then those English-speaking your develop processes is no "melting sensemulticulturalism pot." expression. on themodelof the s commentary from Schechner' somewhat differ doesindeed Thisopinion is thatin the multicultural such as PeterBrookand Eugnio multicultural theatre society greats andnicely andcomplete, is static Barbawhobelievein universal values,in "grand idealeverything in to do balancedas a picture will have nothing Schechner narratives." represented a leaded A is motionless: A multicultural to window. with that.Brook's work should,according society not one is in which and without to look at world be seen as an attempt Schechner, experiments in fornewdevelopments. a really while aimingat discovering variouscultures feels more for the model of the for Schechner Barbais also searching denominator. common matters interculturalism With intercultural for He looks denominator. a common such society. "prebehavior behavior," acting proceeding expressive on 4 The and whichwe shareas humanity. Schechner, partof thetextof thisarticleis notso much remaining much differences finds the cultural theother made s remarks buton Schechner' hand, based on written sources, Schra en in Utrecht the debates 2002). more (Epskamp during interesting.
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matters collide and make up a Here Schechner are in motion, comspeaksof the "airport continuous does more plex." Only when the Gaza striphas its own process.Interculturalism to the tensions within the international then willthe Palestinians reallyexisting right airport, only ofdiversity,be more like the rest of the world.Not only Theintercultural world is full society. In thepractice ofrisks anddangers. of because the airport butalsofull is a universal "discovery," life not each will allow itself but also because the Palestinians will have to daily fragment easily theperfect thesociety has join up with to fit into thesamemonoculture, heldtogether puzzlewhich for it. certain values and necessities in the fieldof up by thought introduces the idea communication That is why Schechner andtechnology. Schechner notso inorder torefer tothesituations muchopposesglobalization, "interculturalism" butconsiders it as a of a specific in which those various multicultural cultural sort. piecesdo not universalism of or from the border the Here a lies intercultural the tear, protrude fit, problem, overlap, namely feel one in do not as correct" of single piece "politically supposed homogeneity the puzzle.People to twoorthree world to the realheterogeneity a puzzlebutwishtobelong pieces population opposite a Jugoslavian,in standards andvaluesdetermining at thesame time:in themorning lifein groups and somebody else at on a worldwide scale. a Dutchin theafternoon, this oronly that. is only home. Moreover, Nobody Each situation to changes. we are alwayssubject in order to find Future thenecessary asksfor adaptations a placein thetotality. In Schechner' s opinion, in accordance with postno outstanding modernist truth It exists. thought, has indeedbeen only a rather short Globalization periodof - from time the18th-century until Enlightenment - thatone of interculturalism are the mid-sixties of the 20th century characteristics Important and considered thetruth to speakforitself. Now it is an openandflexible mutual stance, influence, are lacking, common that various can exist truths Thus, simpledefinitions knowledge hybridity. to Schechner this and "workin progress" According goes on continuously.nextto each other. oftheculture in the21st lies in repudiated couldlead to thesharing of interculturality The future of more importance eventhough century of us is hybrid, perhapsbecoming Everyone hybridity. the same than of the be all to we pretend sharing politicaland / or thoroughbred. in which the arena ideological system. Interculturality supplies - do - values,traditions, was indeed Schechner cultures Ultimately right styles proven politics, do in thismatter. Characteristic of thelasttenyears do notsharesimilarities, notsuiteach other, was the worldwide growth do not like each other. of the last century not coexistpeacefully, in of fundamentalism culture and religion. numerous we have seen ten the Along During past years the downfall of all with communist between conflicts intercultural conflicts, nearly regimes, people conflicts turned intogenuine ethnic different with races, living political-ideological groups religions, in in the cultural conflicts. resulted comfortable and not in each other's These, turn, fully vicinity Center on attack on the World Trade this into consideration witheach other. 11, September Taking in on an 2001 cultural these conflicts rises theinteresting upheaval implying thoughts why question in a global war. The answer, relationships. have notresulted he drawsno hope makesclearthat of Schechner is: thedissemination to Schechner, according is In hisviewthe from the future. He no Utopian. globalization. willnotimprove in thefuture, is a processwhichis theresult world Globalization onlychange. does notbelieve:utopia he clearly culture of theWestern of thedominance and,in In twothings in his pastif He is onlyinterested It is and nostalgia. of thepastcolonialism. an excrescence fact, his present and shapea of technical, combination a very military,it helpshimto construct specific future. and artistic economic, development.mutual ideological, Armed thisknowledge Schechner arrives with ofvaluessuchas dethedissemination Moreover, has at the conclusion that theatre not one but are andmarket economy part legislation, mocracy, from two futures. Modern drama flourished 1880 but natural matters are no These hereof. andparcel world untilaround1970. At present, from theWestern it no andstandards however, expressions exists. After et al., there Brecht areonlya historical to a specific, related development. They longer ofmilitary in thefield of stock-plays withothers areforced power. few"eructations" bymeans upon
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s Schechner' influenced out anysignificance. Next,we saw experimentalquences.This has greatly first The theperiod1985-2002. butno drama. during thinking important, performances; eventwas the collapse of the BerlinWall terofthe"fine arts" Theatre as part therefore, shall, the Cold War. It exchanged to exist.Like visual and plasticarts, minating continue political wereto which differences forcultural tobe differences function willhavea museum arts performing each saw in the role classical playan important withthesymphony waypeople orchestra, compared event second The other. each with dealt and drama, ballet, played other opera.The stockof written 11. This,too,sharpened a museum is, of course, willbe given theatre September groups, bynational sincetheend this For s views. from Schechner' but reason, value. A few new pieces will appear, and more more writes Schechner of the of era the of theatre theperspective 1980s, great history intercultural and multicultural about of the era does as far behind lies drama relationships us, he ontheTwin theassault With insociety. Towers, modernism. the on ideas his terms in sketches sense in broadest the see theatre we political However, sharp on the21stcentury, ofpower as interactions as performance, oftheword during played relationships as terrorism on and in fundamentalism out as withpopular amusement, thinking, religious sports, less and less he writes In of instrument a future then fact, court and sessions, power. rituals, public Backto on politics. andmore andmore indissol- on theatre Itis almost is unthinkable. without theatre inhis he when sixties of the the the started, In era. of the and beginning postmodern ublypart parcel butas a of theatre notas a director own words, or community-based of mediaperformance form activist. itsown cultural willhaveto lookfor theatre performance, the 21st century. wayduring shall Richard Schechner director As a theatre As manner. ina very limited hereto contribute only Cited borrowed References texts hisinterest goesouttodirecting yet he As a theorist fromthe classical repertoire. Epskamp, Kees, en Emile Schra book on performance his mostrecent published en hettheater 2002 Interculturele puzzels. RichardSchechner the in 2002: A practical studies PassePartout. in de 2 le eeuw. Utrecht: guidenavigating Stichting fieldof a recent and disciplinary reader through Goffman,Erving words states: inhisown Schechner "perfor- 1975 Frame Analysis. An Essay on the Organizationof study. It is rooted in development." is a discipline mance PenguinBooks. Experience.Harmondsworth: of theatre, in the comingtogether anthropology Pavis, Patrice and the social sciences, studies, 1996 The Intercultural history, gender Reader. London: RoutlPerformance and communication semiotics theories, psychoedge. inpopular studies ethology, analysis, gametheory, Schechner,Richard and gay 1969 Public Domain. Essays on the Theater.Indianapolis: feminist media studies, culture, theory, Bobbs-Merrill. studies.
Books. Theater.New York: Hawthorn 1973 Environmental 1977 Essays on Performance Theory1970-1976. New York: Drama Book SpecialistsPublishers. Back to theBeginning 1980 The Decline and Fall of the (American) Avantgarde. Why It Happened and What We Can Do about It. Amsterdam: s early to RichardSchechner' This introduction Mickery.(MickeryMemo, 6) New on Performance. oftheanthropology1982 The End of Humanism.Writings in thefield work as a theorist ArtsPublications. York: Performing deals withthe period 1969- 1983 Performative of theatre mostly From the AvantGarde to Circumstances. is especially 1985.Attention paid to his personal Ramlila. Calcutta:Seagull Press. Uniand as a 1985 BetweenTheaterand Anthropology. of ideas,as a practitioner Philadelphia: development Press. of Pennsylvania in other versity in theatre interest with a growing scholar, The Unesco Courier(November 1997 TheatreforTomorrow. Notonlydoes theattention cultures. go outto the 1997): 6-11. to 2002 Performance his interest butespecially wayhe has directed London: RoutlStudies. An Introduction.

with these his experiences thewayhe has versed edge. and as a theorist traditions new theatrical placed Schechner,Richard, and Willa Appel (eds.) framework.1990 By Means of Performance.Intercultural themin a changing Studies of anthropological the founders one of he became how Theatreand Ritual. Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity And,finally, Press. arts." ofperforming ofthe"anthropology havetaken twomajorevents Sincethen place, Turner,Victor A Studyin Comand Pilgrimage. social conse- 1979 Process,Performance, whichwere to have far-reaching
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New Delhi: Concept Symbology. Publishing Van der Jagt, parative Marijn 1986 The Wooster Toneel Company. Group;enkelde hoogtepunten. The HumanSeriousness of Teatraal 1982 FromRitualto Theatre. 107/9: 4-5. Arts Journal Publications. Performing Play.NewYork: Van Gennep, Arnold andEdithTurner 1960 The Rites of Passage. Chicago: The University of Victor, Turner, TheDramaReview 3326/2: Press.[1909] 1982 Performing Ethnography. Chicago 50.

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