This groundbreaking work explores Søren Kierkegaard as a pioneering figure in Performance Theory, revealing how his philosophical approach anticipated contemporary Performance Studies concepts.
The book examines Kierkegaard's use of pseudonyms and dialectical discourse to create a performative philosophy where thinking and doing intertwine. Chapters analyze his insights on actors' conflicted identities, the relationship between behavior and consciousness, and everyday life as scripted performance. The author draws compelling connections between Kierkegaard's 19th-century ideas and modern Performance Theory concepts developed by Richard Schechner, Diana Taylor, Peggy Phelan, and Rebecca Schneider. Through careful analysis of primary texts and historical context, the book demonstrates how Kierkegaard's dramatistic approach to existence established foundational concepts that continue to influence our understanding of performance.
This book will appeal to scholars and students in philosophy, Performance Studies, and theater history. This volume will also appeal to anyone interested in the intersection of existential thought and Performance Theory.
Preface
Introduction: Kierkegaard as a Performance Theorist
Chapter One: Philosophy Ex-Machina: Kierkegaard as an Ironist and an Actor
Chapter Two: Dramatism as Theoria: Kierkegaard’s Speculative Actorship
Chapter Three: Twice-Behaved Philosophy: Kierkegaard and the Impossibility of Repetition
Chapter Four: Theater as Failed Repetition: The Quest for a Restored Self
Chapter Five: Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Actor: Kierkegaard’s Metamorphosis
Conclusion: A Hyphenated Author
Index
Biography
Leo Cabranes-Grant is a Professor in the Departments of Theater and Dance and Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
