"What is Performance?"
The challenge of identifying a type or idea of performance to me is based on opinions. During our class discuss we debated whether simple every day actions were part of a performance based on the audience. For example, taking your daily walk to class not paying attention to whom or what may be watching. This example explains that even when minding your own business some other person out there may be watching you finding your simple actions such as walking to be a performance in itself. However, that also turned most people into the debate of how creepy it was to think that way and that walking to class is not a performance. The question still arose, "What is Performance?" In Carlson's Intro, he used the words "an instability of truth." Those words caught me by surprise and made me wonder, are all performance not true? How can that be? The retelling of events, if, historically accurate would be true. Brushing my teeth in my daily morning ritual is true, so why would he propose that performances are not stable. Perhaps it is the imitation of the actions? Pretending or channeling a character to perform is definitely not your true self. I can understand Carlson's thinking there. But again I still believe that even the simplest things are performances. I perform when I am typing on my laptop. I perform when I tie my shoe laces. It may not be a performance to an audience or to the lonely bystander who happens to notice you; but it can be a performance of action by yourself.
Consider reading this article because I have found it to be enlightening. http://hbr.org/2012/01/creating-sustainable-performance/ar/1
Reading this article I took myself away from the "theatre world" and discovered a different form of performance. A job takes a special kind of skill sets that adapt into a performance through thriving because we are passionate about what we do. Performing is exactly what it describes it to be. It is not about being content. To perform means to experience vitality. Doing what you love should be a performance. If that entitles you to standing on stage performing a scene from Hamlet to working as a mechanic in a garage; as long as you are doing what you love you are performing. It's incredible the ideas of figuring out that something so simple in life can be your greatest performance.
Compared to Carlson's intro, this article broadens the ideas of performance. This brings me back to the saying, "instability of truth." Performing an exhilarating task is a true performance. It can not be falsely presented by you because you are the one creating the action without deeply thinking about the mood or steps to achieve it. A task as simple as breathing, it is a performance of yourself because it is a natural form of life in your body. Think it through about what you love to do. Believe it or not that is your greatest performance. My performance is the joy of a good hug, that sensation of the first bite of ice cream, and the miraculous way my mind works. It's crazy enough because my brain is performing to produce these thoughts that turn into words on the page. Performance is a way of Life.
Very interesting view point on the topic of performance. I agree that everyday actions can be considered performance, I also stated that in my post. I never thought about the professional aspect outside of theater. By saying that as long as you are doing something you love your putting on your greatest performance opens up a completely different argument.
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