MACMILLAN Performance, Subjectivity, Cosmopolitanism

This book looks at the connection between contemporary theatre practices and cosmopolitanism, a philosophical condition of social behaviour based on our responsibility, respect, and healthy curiosity to the other. Advocating for cosmopolitanism has become a necessity in a world defined by global wars, mass migration, and rise of nationalism. Using empathy, affect, and telling personal stories of displacement through embodied encounter between the actor and their audience, performance arts can serve as a training ground for this social behavior. In the centre of this encounter is a new cosmopolitan: a person of divided origins and cultural heritage, someone who speaks many languages and claims different countries as their place of belonging. The book examines how European and North American theatres stage this divided subjectivity: both from within, the way we tell stories about ourselves to others, and from without, through the stories the others tell about us.  Review “Meerzon makes a remarkable contribution to theatre and performance studies, which inspires further research on the relationship among cosmopolitanism, theatre, and performance. … Meerzon’s book is one of a few monographs that lead the way for scholars of theatre and performance studies to explore performance’s potential and limits to challenge nations’ inhuman migration laws and practices from a cosmopolitan perspective.” (Hanife Schulte, Contemporary Theatre Review, September 17, 2021) From the Back Cover This book looks at the connection between contemporary theatre practices and cosmopolitanism, a philosophical condition of social behaviour based on our responsibility, respect, and healthy curiosity to the other. Advocating for cosmopolitanism has become a necessity in a world defined by global wars, mass migration, and rise of nationalism. Using empathy, affect, and telling personal stories of displacement through embodied encounter between the actor and their audience, performance arts can serve as a training ground for this social behavior. In the centre of this encounter is a new cosmopolitan: a person of divided origins and cultural heritage, someone who speaks many languages and claims different countries as their place of belonging. The book examines how European and North American theatres stage this divided subjectivity: both from within, the way we tell stories about ourselves to others, and from without, through the stories the others tell about us.  About the Author Professor Yana Meerzon teaches for the Department of Theatre, University of Ottawa. Her research interests are in drama and performance theory, and theatre of migration and nationalism. Her book publications with Palgrave include Performing Exile – Performing Self: Drama, Theatre, Film (2012), Performance, Exile and ‘America’ (2009), History, Memory, Performance (2015); and Migration and Stereotypes in Performance and Culture (2020).