FOREWORD

FOREWORD was a site-specific durational performance that unfolded throughout the time-space of the American Society for Theatre Research Conference 2014: “What Performs?”. FOREWORD blurred the boundary between performance and scholarship and reflected upon the ways in which scholars perform their ideas. Bracketing our experience at ASTR as a situated, dialogic performance, the work asked, “What performs?” within formal and informal intellectual discourse.
The work began on Thursday, November 20 at 8:00am when the ASTR Executive Committee Meeting commenced, and ended on Sunday, November 23 at 12:30pm when the conference was over. To signify their participation in the performance, we invited conference attendees to wear a “(performing)” button, which they could obtain from the registration desk or from SALYER + SCHAAG. The performance was part of the PerformASTR program curated by Brian Herrera.