9.2: Liminality Within Performance

Overview

Liminality, a concept introduced by Arnold van Gennep (1909) and developed by Victor Turner (1969), refers to a transitional “in-between” state where transformation and ambiguity coexist. In oral interpretation, performers occupy this liminal space, navigating between their own identity and that of the character.

Effective performance arises from connecting personal experiences with the character’s world, fostering empathy and layered meaning (Ellis & Burger, 2003). The audience also participates, responding to both performer and character (Chase, 2008). As Anna Deavere Smith (1992) notes, the power of performance emerges in the “gaps” between identities, where new understanding is co-created.

Thus, oral interpretation does not present the performer’s, character’s, or audience’s story in isolation; it reflects the convergence of all narratives, generating shared meaning that resonates beyond the performance itself.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The reflection is not identical to the mountain itself; it retains its own distinctive features while simultaneously mirroring the original form. Together, the mountain and its reflection co-create a new visual composition, one that maintains elements of their individual identities while producing a combined, emergent image. This is similar to the process performers encounter while performing other people. (Public Domain; Holly Cheng - Mount Hood reflected in Mirror Lake, Oregon)

Learning Objectives

1. Define and explain liminality in the context of performance, identifying how it represents transitional spaces where identities, narratives, and meanings intersect.

2. Analyze the role of empathy and personal experience in oral interpretation, demonstrating how performers connect their own perspectives with the character’s to create layered and authentic performances.

3. Evaluate the co-creative relationship between performer, character, and audience, explaining how shared liminal experiences generate new meaning and deepen audience engagement.

What is Liminality?

According to Oxford Reference (2025), liminality is defined as “a ritual space or phase of transition in which a person is no longer what they were, but is not yet what they will be. The liminal is the in-between, the neither one thing nor the other.” The concept was first introduced by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep (1909) and later expanded by Victor Turner (1960s). In literature, theatre, and performance studies, liminality often describes moments, spaces, or characters that exist between worlds or identities. They are moments where transformation and ambiguity coexist.

For example, a second-generation Mexican American student switches seamlessly between Spanish and English depending on the space they occupy. At home, they are expected to uphold Mexican traditions such as respecting elders, eating traditional foods, and celebrating quinceañeras. At school or work, they are read as American and expected to conform to U.S. norms of individuality and self-expression. They feel fully accepted in neither space, yet draw meaning and identity from existing in the in-between—belonging to both, but not entirely to either.

In oral interpretation, performers also enter a liminal space. During performance, performers are neither entirely themselves nor entirely the character they are portraying. Rather, performers inhabit a space between these two identities. While creating performances, the goal is not to erase your own identity to convince the audience that you are the character, but to discover points of genuine connection between your lived experiences and the character’s world. Through this process, you create a layered and authentic performance that draws on both empathy and imagination.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Activity 1: Exploring the Liminal Space

Objective:
To experience and reflect on the liminal space between performer and character, and to identify ways personal experiences can connect to the character’s story.

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Part 1: Reflection and Identification

1. Choose a short passage, monologue, or poem you plan to perform.

2. Identify one aspect of the character’s experience (emotion, motivation, or life circumstance) that resonates with your own life experiences.

3. Write a brief reflection (3–5 sentences) describing how your experience connects with the character’s.

Co-Creating Meaning Through Performance

Ellis and Berger (2003) note that “we try to understand others by comparing our experiences to theirs” (p. 177). This act of comparison forms the foundation of empathetic performance. By reflecting on your own life while exploring the circumstances and emotions of a character, you enter a liminal space where understanding deepens and new meaning emerges. In this space, the performer and the character co-create new realities, each shaping and transforming the other through performance.

This process also extends to the audience. As you perform, viewers engage not only with the character but also with you.

Chase (2008) describes, “the narrator’s story is flexible, variable, and shaped in part by interactions with the audience” (p. 65).

The exchange between performer, character, and audience creates a shared liminal experience, where personal and collective meaning intertwine.

Playwright and performer Anna Deavere Smith (1992) captures this idea eloquently:

“Character lives not in one place or the other, but in the gaps between the places, and in our struggle to be together in our differences. It lives not in what has been fully articulated, but in what is in the process of being articulated, not in smooth-sounding words, but in the very moment that the smooth-sounding words fail us” (p. xli).

In oral interpretation, your task as a performer is to find yourself in those gaps and to inhabit the spaces between your story and the character’s story. Equally important is leaving room for your audience to find themselves within those same gaps. When this occurs, performance transcends the moment, leaving a lasting impact that extends beyond the boundaries of time and space.

The performance does not merely represent the character’s story, the performer’s story, or the audience’s story in isolation. Rather, it reflects the complex interplay of all these narratives as they converge, intertwine, and co-create new layers of meaning and shared reality.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Activity 2: Co-Creating Meaning Through Performance

Objective:
To develop empathetic connection with a character and explore how performer, character, and audience interact to create shared meaning.

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Part 1: Performance Exploration

1. Rehearse a passage aloud. While performing:

   • Notice moments where your personal experience informs the character’s portrayal.

   • Identify areas where you are simultaneously yourself and the character (inhabiting the liminal space).

2. Perform for a peer or record yourself. Focus on:

   • Conveying the emotional depth of the character while allowing your authentic self to shape the performance.

   • Creating space in your delivery for the audience to interpret and engage with both you and the character.

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Part 2: Audience Interaction

1. If performing for peers, ask them to provide feedback on:

   • Moments where they felt connected to the character.

   • Moments where your personal interpretation added depth or nuance.

2. Reflect on how audience engagement influenced your performance or understanding of the piece.