Documentation, Disappearance and the Representation of Live Performance

276 Pages·2006·2.12 MB·English

by  Matthew Reason (auth.)

Documentation, Disappearance and
the Representation of Live Performance
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Documentation,
Disappearance and
the Representation of
Live Performance
Matthew Reason
© Matthew Reason 2006
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2006 978-1-4039-9707-4
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
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permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90
Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified
as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2006 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
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175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom
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ISBN 978-1-349-54603-9 ISBN 978-0-230-59856-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230598560
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reason, Matthew, 1975–
Documentation, disappearance, and the representation of live
performance / Matthew Reason.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-349-54603-9
1. Performing arts – Technique. 2. Performing arts – Information
resources. I. Title.
PN1590.T43R43 2006
791—dc22 2006045354
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06
For Peter and Elizabeth
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Contents
List of Illustrations viii
Acknowledgements x
Preface: About the Cover xi
Introduction 1
1 Documentation and Disappearance 8
Part I
2 Archives 31
3 Proper Research, Improper Memory 41
4 Self-Representation 5
Part II
5 Video Documents 73
6 Screen Reworkings 92
Part III
7 Photography, Truth and Revelation 113
8 Photography, Publicity and Representation 146
Part IV
9 Reviewing Performance 183
10 Writing the Live 205
11 The Representation of Live Performance 231
Notes 239
Performance Works Cited 251
Bibliography 253
Index 263
vii
List of Illustrations
7.1 The Chairs
Complicite and Royal Court Theatre (1997)
Photograph Graham Brandon. 119
V&A Images/Theatre Museum
7.2 Penny Arcade. While You Were Out
Performance view at PS122 (1985) 124
Photograph Dona Ann McAdams
7.3 Karen Finley. I’m An Ass Man
Performance view at The Cat Club (1987) 125
Photograph Dona Ann McAdams
7.4 Annie Sprinkle. Post Porn Modernist
Performance view at The Kitchen (1990) 129
Photograph Dona Ann McAdams
7.5 Nachtasiel
Ro Theatre Rotterdam (1998) 131
Photograph Bertien van Manen
7.6 Zavarzino Siberia. Oleg (1992)
A Hundred Summers, A Hundred Winters 131
Photograph Bertien van Manen
7.7 Nachtasiel
Ro Theatre Rotterdam (1998) 133
Photograph Bertien van Manen
7.8 Kazan. Vlada (1992)
A Hundred Summers, A Hundred Winters 133
Photograph Bertien van Manen
7.9 Rika Okamoto, Kathy Buccellato and
Camille M. Brown
Martha Graham Dance Company (1994) 138
Photograph Lois Greenfield
7.10 Daniel Ezralow and Ashley Roland (1988)
Photograph Lois Greenfield 140
7.11 Wall/Line
Ned Maluf, Christopher Batenhorst, Paula Gifford (1994) 142
Photograph Lois Greenfield
viii
List of Illustrations ix
8.1 Advertising leaflet for When the Bulbul Stopped Singing
Traverse Theatre Company (2004) 151
Photograph Euan Myles
8.2 Advertising leaflet for Outlying Islands
Traverse Theatre Company (2002) 153
Photograph Euan Myles
8.3 ‘Travel Agency’.
Front cover of the Traverse Theatre Brochure (2004) 156
Photograph Euan Myles
8.4 Advertising leaflet for Emanuelle Enchanted
Forced Entertainment (1992) 159
Photograph Hugo Glendinning
8.5 a–d Photographs from the ‘blind shoot’ of Club of No Regrets
Forced Entertainment (1993) 161
Photographs Hugo Glendinning
8.6 India Song
Het Zuidelijk Toneel (1998) 165
Photograph Chris Van der Burght
8.7 India Song
Het Zuidelijk Toneel (1998) 167
Photograph Chris Van der Burght
8.8 Visitors Only
Damaged Goods (2003) 168
Photograph Chris Van der Burght
8.9 The Featherstonehaughs Draw on the Sketchbooks of
Egon Schiele
The Featherstonehaughs (1999) 171
Photograph Chris Nash
8.10 Blind Faith
Yolande Snaith Theatre Dance (1991) 173
Photograph Chris Nash
8.11 Immaculate Conception
The Featherstonehaughs (1992) 178
Photograph Chris Nash
The photographs are reproduced by kind permission of the
photographers, companies/artists or rights holders concerned.