Coping, Adapting, Thriving: What role for the Theatre in Contemporary Southeast Asia?

Abstract

"Performance", designating both the performing arts (theatre, music, and dance) and a performative or "dramatistic"approach to human action and interaction, has been more thoroughly documented and theorized about with regard to Southeast Asia than for most parts of the world. Geertz's (in)famous theatre state and cockfight merely constitutes the top of the iceberg. The literature on performance and shamanism; philological, anthropological, linguistic, and historical accounts of 'Wayang Kulit' in Indonesia and Malaysia; intricately detailed studies of choreology and "oranology" for both mainland and insular Southeast Asia: the field is rich, historically deep, and constantly developing.