Masking, Trancing, Performing, and Spectating in Non-Western and Circumpacific Performance

An inquiry into specific traditions of performance - ritual, traditional theatre, contemporary theatre, and performed behavior in more or less day-to-day life - that exist or have existed in various (mostly) Asian settings and have been studied and documented by scholars, film-makers, and theatre artists. The emphasis will be on traditions that use masks as means of transforming the identity of the performer and of the world presented in performance. No prior experience in theatrical performance or in the study of Asia or anthropology is assumed.