The Relationship between the Dramatic Script and the Performance; Centered around the Performer’s Body

Proceedings of The The 3rd International Academic Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences

Year: 2019

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/3rd.iachss.2019.08.464

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The Relationship between the Dramatic Script and the Performance; Centered around the Performer’s Body

Samin Gheitasy,Leila Montazeri and Simin Dowlatkhah

ABSTRACT: 

Dramatic script to some extend determines the structure of a performance. But the way it is being performed and the physical approach towards the text can leave different meaning. Performer’s body as a tool to communicate to the audience can be effective in creating perceptions from the text. Anne Bogart is a director who employs the latest and most well- known practices for performing body. Having a look at her performance on Aeschylus’ Persians, using Foucault’s sociological body theory, the authors try to examine how the bodies on stage can convey hidden sociological meanings in and between the lines of the script. In order to reach that goal, first, a close survey on Foucault’s sociological body theory is done, to discover the effect of society’s discourses on the human bodies. Then the paper explores the samples of Foucault’s theory in each and every element of Aeschylus’ dramatic text. Then it concludes how the performer’s body can act within each element in order to lead the performance audiences to a thorough comprehension of the text.

Keywords: performing arts; sociological body; theater; drama; discourse.