1.2: What is Performance?

Overview

This section explores the concept of performance in both everyday life and theatrical contexts. Specifically, we will examine Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory, Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, Richard Schechner’s Performance Theory, and Victor Turner’s Social Drama.

We then will spend some time distinguishing between everyday performance (spontaneous, habitual, and often unconscious) and theatrical performance (rehearsed, stylized, and presented to an external audience). While both forms of performance share common elements, theatrical performance introduces higher stakes, greater self-awareness, and often, increased anxiety.

Finally, we explore oral interpretation. Oral interpretation is performance practice that exists between everyday and theatrical modes. Neither casual conversation nor full character acting, oral interpretation uses voice, expression, and movement to bring literature to life in a way that is both authentic and intentional.

By the end of this chapter, you will understand how performance operates in multiple spheres of life, how context influences our actions, and how interpretation and embodiment work together to convey meaning in everyday interactions or in the performance of literature.

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Everyday performances can also be performed on stage. (CC-BY-SA; Mostafameraji - LEFTOVER)

Learning Objectives

1. Understand performance as a social practice.
2. Analyze theories of social and cultural performance.
3. Examine the relationship between performance and power.
4. Differentiate between everyday and theatrical performance.

Are You a Performer?

When you hear the word "performance," what comes to mind? I asked my kids that question, and they said they think of a stage, costumes, and, of course, an audience. Even though my kids are only 3 and 7, their responses were fairly accurate. When we break down those responses a bit more, things get complex.

As humans, we have been performing our entire lives. From a young age, we learn how to perform in different social and cultural contexts. For example, at some point while living in the United States, you learned that students move into a classroom, sit behind a table, and raise their hand if they would like to speak. In contrast, a professor moves to the front of the class, stays standing, and does not need to raise their hand if they would like to speak. These performances constitute specific power dynamics within the classroom, and people in the United States have passed these performances down for generations.

In the previously described scenario, the stage is the classroom, the costumes are articles of clothing that you choose to represent your identity, and the audience is the people within that space. You engage in this performance regularly without question. It is mundane and familiar, yet deeply structured by social expectations and roles. This aligns with Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory, which suggests that social life is like a theatrical performance where individuals manage their presentation of self in front of an audience (Goffman, 1959).

Further deepening this concept, Judith Butler’s theory of performativity emphasizes that identity (particularly gender) is not a fixed attribute we simply possess, but rather something we continuously enact through repeated social performances. Unlike Goffman’s view of performance as managing impressions, Butler argues that these repeated acts don’t just express identity. They actively constitute it, creating the appearance of a stable, coherent self within social norms and regulatory frameworks (Butler, 1990). This means that the way we behave in familiar settings like classrooms not only reflects social roles but also shapes how we and others understand who we are. For example, we are not performing as a student, rather we become a student by engaging in those performances. 

But what happens if we never learn the social cues or are unable to perform them according to societal expectations? Impression management occurs when individuals deliberately adjust how they present themselves in order to influence how others perceive them. When a dominant culture sets the standards for what is considered “normal,” “professional,” or “appropriate,” people often engage in impression management by modeling their own performances (speech, dress, behavior, emotional expression) on the expectations of that dominant group. We engage in impression management based on the performances of a dominant culture because dominant norms establish the expectations by which behavior is judged. People adapt their performance (consciously or unconsciously) to navigate power structures, seek acceptance, avoid harm, or gain social advantages. These performances reveal how culture, identity, and power interact in everyday life.

Marginalized communities have long challenged dominant norms by refusing or being unable to perform the status quo, instead creating alternative ways of being, speaking, and relating. These everyday and interpretive performances become acts of resistance that imagine and enact new social possibilities. In this class, we will draw on that legacy by using performance to question how things are and actively participate in building more just and inclusive realities. In the practice of oral interpretation, we will move beyond simply repeating performances that uphold the status quo. Instead, we will actively challenge, disrupt, and re-imagine social performances to reveal and resist systems of injustice. Within our oral interpretation performances, we won’t just copy how things are usually done. We’ll use performance to question, break, and rebuild social norms to help us better understand and challenge injustice. By doing so, we recognize that performance is not just a reflection of reality. It is a tool for reshaping it. Through our everyday and interpretive performances, we can question how things are and actively participate in creating new, more just social realities.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Activity 1: Everyday Performance Observation

Objective: To identify and analyze examples of performance in everyday life, highlighting communication, identity, and culture.
Instructions:

1. Spend one day observing your own social interactions in different settings (e.g., classroom, home, social media, work).

2. Take notes on at least three different “performances” you engage in—describe the context, the “role” you played, and any social rules you followed.

3. Write a brief analysis explaining how these performances shape your identity or reflect cultural expectations.

4. Share your findings in a class discussion, comparing everyday performance with theatrical performance.

Everyday Performance vs Theatrical Performance

We have established that you are, in fact, a performer. Each day, you engage in a variety of social and cultural performances such as greeting others, navigating classroom dynamics, participating in rituals, and more. These actions, while often unconscious, are shaped by societal expectations and learned behaviors.

Although Goffman believed that social life is a form of theatrical performance, his theory does not fully account for the emotional and psychological differences between performing in everyday life and performing on an theatrical stage. For instance, while you might effortlessly perform your role as a student in a classroom, you may experience significant anxiety when asked to perform in a local theater production of High School Musical. This heightened anxiety suggests that theatrical performance involves different stakes, expectations, and levels of self-consciousness. These are elements that Goffman's dramaturgical framework does not fully explain.

The answer lies in the difference between everyday performance and theatrical performance. In everyday life, performances are typically spontaneous, context-driven, and tied to your authentic social identity. You are performing as yourself within familiar settings, often without an external audience evaluating your behavior.

In contrast, theatrical performance occurs in a heightened, constructed environment where the performer is asked to adopt a different identity, memorize lines, follow direction, and present that identity convincingly to an audience of observers. People can develop performance anxiety when they are aware they are being watched, judged, or evaluate. They may also feel anxiety about trying to get the performance "right." This anxiety is not a contradiction of your role as a performer in everyday life; rather, it highlights how different contexts create different stakes and expectations for performance.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Activity 2: Everyday Performance vs Theatrical Performance Venn Diagram

Type: Analysis
Objective: Distinguish between everyday performance and theatrical acting.

Instructions:

1. Create a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles:

   • Label one Performer (Everyday Life)

   • Label the other Actor (Theater Setting)

2. In each circle, list characteristics unique to that role.

3. In the overlap, list similarities (e.g., body language, role-playing, audience awareness).

4. As a class, discuss:

   • What makes acting different from everyday performance?

   • How does “mimesis” change the performer’s intent?

Performing in Everyday Life

Let’s begin by examining some of the ways we might perform in everyday life. In the United States, close friends often greet each other with a hug, while in professional settings, a handshake is more common. In France, close friends may greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks. In Japan, bowing is the standard greeting. In India, it is common to show respect to elders by touching their feet. You may engage in one of these performances daily without necessarily thinking of it as a performance. Regardless, participating in these social customs makes you a performer.

Performance theorist Richard Schechner emphasizes that performance exists on a wide continuum ranging from everyday actions and rituals to theater and ceremonial events. According to Schechner (2006), the distinction between "acting" and "being" is not always clear-cut. He suggests that all performances are "restored behaviors," meaning that we often enact patterns of behavior that are culturally learned and repeated. These behaviors can be authentic, stylized, or even symbolic, depending on the context.

Similarly, Victor Turner’s theory of Social Drama and Cultural Performance provides insight into how performances function within societies to manage conflict, affirm cultural values, and express identity. Turner (1982) outlines how real-life conflicts unfold in a dramatic structure. Conflicts move through breach, crisis, action, and reintegration or schism. This highlights how ritual and symbolic performance help communities navigate disruption. These ideas help us understand how everyday and theatrical performances alike serve as mechanisms for expressing and resolving social tensions.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Activity 3: Performance Scenario Swap

Type: Creative Thinking + Application
Objective: Understand how context changes the meaning of performance.

Instructions:

1. Choose a familiar performance setting (e.g., a classroom).

2. Choose a contrasting setting (e.g., a concert, family dinner, job interview).

3. Imagine transferring your classroom behaviors into that new setting.

4. Write a short reflection or comic strip showing:

   • What actions feel strange or out of place?

   • How does the audience’s reaction change?

   • What does this reveal about how performance is shaped by context?

Theatrical Performances

Even though you perform regularly in everyday life, those same performances might feel very different in a different setting. For example, you might not consciously think about performing as a student in a classroom, but you might feel anxious performing as a student in a theater production. Even if the physical actions are identical—raising your hand, speaking, listening to the teacher—the context in which they occur alters their meaning.

In a classroom setting, your peers and teacher serve as both audience members and active participants. They are also performing their roles in real life, and you are authentically performing as a student within that space. In contrast, within a traditional Western theater setting, the audience consists of outside observers who are not active participants in the performance. They understand that the actors are not in a real classroom. Although the actors may replicate everyday performances common in the culture, they do so within a constructed reality, separate from the context where such performances typically occur.

In theater, actors aim to make this constructed reality feel as authentic as possible for an external audience. They strive to convince the audience that they are the character they are portraying. To achieve this, actors often imitate or mimic the behavior of the person they are trying to represent. This performance technique is called mimesis, a concept rooted in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the work of Aristotle, who described it as the imitation of action in drama (Aristotle, trans. 1996). Mimesis occurs when actors replicate real-life behaviors in their performance, often drawing from observed social cues and emotional expressions to create believable characters (Fischer-Lichte, 2008). Actors may also use costume and makeup choices to further immerse themselves in the role, reinforcing the illusion of reality within the fictional world of the play.

This raises an important question: What kind of performance techniques are used in oral interpretation? Are they more closely aligned with everyday performances or theatrical performances?

Oral interpretation exists in a unique space between the two. Like everyday performances, it draws on natural vocal expression, body language, and emotional authenticity. However, similar to theatrical performance, it involves deliberate choices in voice, gesture, and pacing to engage an audience and bring a text to life. Performers are not playing fully developed characters in a fictional world, as actors do in a play, but they are also not simply reading aloud.

Instead, oral interpretation blends the spontaneity and relatability of everyday interaction with the intentionality and structure of theatrical performance. This hybrid form allows the performer to both inhabit and present the text, making it accessible, meaningful, and impactful for an audience.

In the next section, we will explore the history of oral interpretation, its cultural variations, and how we will approach performing oral interpretations of literature in this class.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Activity 4: Think-Pair-Share – Performance in Daily Life

Type: Reflective + Discussion
Objective: Identify examples of everyday performance and reflect on their meaning.

Instructions:

1. Think: On your own, list at least three social situations in your life where you perform a role (e.g., student, friend, employee).

2. Pair: With a partner, share one of your examples. Discuss:

   • What makes this situation a “performance”?

   • What behaviors or actions are expected in that role?

3. Share: With the class or in small groups, discuss how these performances vary across different contexts (e.g., home vs. school).

Extension: Compare your behaviors across two different settings. How do your “costume,” “stage,” and “audience” change?