This collection of essays and interviews investigates current practices that expand our understanding and experience of performance through the use of state-of-the-art technologies. It brings together leading practitioners; writers and curators who explore the intersections between theatre; performance and digital technologies; challenging expectations and furthering discourse across the disciplines. As technologies become increasingly integrated into theatre and performance; Interfaces of Performance revisits key elements of performance practice in order to investigate emergent paradigms. To do this five concepts integral to the core of all performance are foregrounded; namely environments; bodies; audiences; politics of practice and affect. The thematic structure of the volume has been designed to extend current discourse in the field that is often led by formalist analysis focusing on technology per se. The proposed approach intends to unpack conceptual elements of performance practice; investigating the strategic use of a diverse spectrum of technologies as a means to artistic ends. The focus is on the ideas; objectives and concerns of the artists who integrate technologies into their work. In so doing; these inquisitive practitioners research new dramaturgies and methodologies in order to create innovative experiences for; and encounters with; their audiences.
#1310868 in eBooks 2016-04-30 2016-04-30File Name: B01FYBS8HQ
Review
1 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Pretty weird.By LeeFor the most part. this book is just a summary of a bunch of weird-ass movies with some analysis. Its good. its interesting. but its a very niche market for a book like this. Really. his analysis doesnt mean anything unless youve seen ever film he references/summarizes. Ofter his summaries are a bit biased and leave out facts that dont support his thesis or whatever point hes pushing. However. Brown does do a good job rhizomatically reading each film he focuses on. Personally. Id rather just watch the movies and be done. but if you want a little more depth and you cant figure symbolism/motifs out on your own. then this probably a good book for you.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Eyeopening and thoughtful study on some of Japans most provocative contemporary media.By Capt. CosTokyo Cyberpunk is a thought provoking and extremely well researched text that explores not only themes of posthumanism in contemporary Japanese visual culture. but also carefully reveals how these themes are linked in a larger network of ideas and imagery. In addition to intricate implementation of philosophy and critical theory--from Deleuze and Guattari to Donna Haraway. from Nietzsche to Freud--Brown provides thorough descriptions of the film and anime texts with nuanced analysis. To do so. the author takes a "rhizomatic" approach. meaning that he explores the texts in relation to other texts. finding the common ground and compatible ideas in distinct media as they impact and borrow from each other. In this way. Brown reveals meanings in not just individual texts. but ideas between texts: recurrent and developing ideas across cultures and time.This approach makes the text accessible in two important and distinct ways.First. Tokyo Cyberpunk will be interesting for readers who have backgrounds in critical theory and philosophy. but are perhaps not familiar with Japanese culture and media (or even world cinema). The very detailed description of plots and accompanying scene analysis allows readers to engage with the applied ideas without a precondition of specific media and cultural literacy. Moreover. since Brown draws on extensive and diverse examples--from 17th century Japanese puppet plays to Fritz Langs Metropolis. from the films of David Cronenberg to the current hikkikomori phenomenon. from the sculptures and photographs of Hans Bellmer to reinterpretations of the Avalon myth of Arthurian legend--he opens up application of theory to diversity. encouraging the reader to draw from their own arsenal of visual examples. whatever their background. The rhizomatic method prompts readers to also join in and say. "oh. this is also like xyz" from their own experience.Second. although the seemingly heavy list of notoriously difficult theorists Brown employs (e.g. Deleuze. Nietzsche. Derrida. Descartes) might seem formidable to readers coming to Tokyo Cyberpunk from a background in Japanese pop culture. the author is also careful to use the theory in an approachable way. Inevitably. the book will. and should. attract readers with a primary interest in Japanese film and anime. Although the more theoretical sections of the text are dense. pop culture enthusiasts should not be afraid to take the plunge. Just as Tokyo Cyberpunk encourages academics of the lit crit crowd to explore visual culture. Browns rhizomatic reading will prompt interest in larger philosophical ideas and thought perhaps previously unknown to the casual fan.Readers from both camps could also take the rhizomatic path (paths?) as I did and read Tokyo Cyberpunk not just for the ideas and images in the book. but as a jumping off point to explore other texts and ideas beyond. but similar to. the text in their hands.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Informative. Exciting. and InspiringBy KileyAfter reading this book. I must say that I am extremely impressed with how it was easy to understand. read and stay interested in it. It isnt every day that I find a book like this and find that I am having a very hard time putting it down. It had its rocky parts but even those had extremely interesting and very fascinating information laced throughout them. I can see that with the knowledge of Tokyo cyberpunk. as a genre. one can probably not look at a doll on the shelf of a toy store the same ever again and maybe even not view the technology that we use day in and day out the same as well. Look at our campus. for example: we make everything very technological these days including not handing out syllabi by hand anymore. Instead. professors will simply upload it to the Internet for the students to find. Technology is all around us. in our lives and in some human beings. inside of our bodies (example: pacemakers). Perhaps Professor Brown is right - we all have a little cyborg in all of us.
