Performance as Event

Undergraduate / Graduate

What makes a performance unforgettable? How do fleeting acts-onstage, online, or in the streets-spark curiosity, provoke debate, or ripple through memes and memories? In this course, we'll immerse ourselves in the bold, hybrid world of performance as a tool for upending expectations and crafting the unexpected. With hands-on projects, critical reflection, and collaborative exploration, we will investigate performance in its many forms, from physical spaces where people move, connect, and gather, to digital platforms where swipes, clicks, and streams define interaction. Together, we'll uncover how performers outwit algorithms, engineer surprise, and amplify their work in resourceful and unpredictable ways. Visiting artists from theater, media art, and tactical performance will join the course throughout the quarter, bringing unique practices and perspectives into the mix.