On Richard Schechner

Ron Weiss

Schechner Response

Performance Practices 

1/25/24

I've been hearing about Schechner for a long time in class and I'm glad  I finally started to read some of his stuff. I started with the chapter from performance studies and introduction and I think the biggest takeaway was the realization that Schechner is not saying that everything is performance but that we can analyze and view anything as a performance. It makes me wonder if I decide to analyze something as a performance does that make it a performance. This is the back and forth we had a lot last semester and I'm still interested in it but I want to talk about something else in this reading. The idea that anything can be examined as performance is really exciting to me because it reminds me a lot of the idea that everything is intentional. When I make a piece of work every aspect of it is an opportunity to be intentional. I can look at one part of my work and ask questions about how it functions in the whole and by doing so adjust or leave it alone in order to achieve a certain result.

 for example: let's say I am remodeling a two-seater sofa. The goal is to make “the ultimate sofa for Two Lovers.” I might look at this sofa and break down what I already have; the sofa is red it has two bottom cushions and two back cushions and it can comfortably fit one, maybe two people. now to be intentional I can take every aspect of what I already have and question how it interacts with my goal of making “the ultimate sofa for Two Lovers.”

 To start off, the sofa can comfortably fit one or maybe two people. Now let me ask myself how does the sofa being able to see of “the ultimate sofa for Two Lovers?” well I could argue that if two people have to squeeze on the sofa then the lovers would be more physically connected and thus it is promoting my goal of the ultimate sofa for Two Lovers. I could also argue that not every couple of lovers share the love language of physical touch and it may be a disservice to not allow room for two people to fit comfortably on the couch. next I might decide on one of the other but the act of questioning this aspect of the couch is the intentionality. in other words whether or not I decide to make a physical change to the couch or this piece of the couch I'm still being intentional as I have put some effort and time into questioning the impact this has on my goal.

 Lets look at another aspect of the sofa: color. The sofa is red which is the color I often associate with love. I might or I might make it redder either way I'm being intentional because I'm taking the time to consider what am I already given how does that interact with the goal and is there a better way or a more interesting way to further the goal.

 So what does any of this have to do with performance studies? Well I believe that Schechner is talking about the very same thing what is performance vs. as performance. I think the process he's talking about in analyzing something As performance is the same process I've discovered in being intentional. the point is not that the couch  was made to be read because it was destined to become a couch for lovers, but that the fact that it is red has some meaning and can be interpreted as such. we can look at anything in existence and suggest that each part of the whole has some intentionality. The application in creating artwork is that questioning each part of the whole for intentionality leads to an intentional piece of work, and performance studies is one way to break down intentionality.