The Provocation of the Senses in Contemporary Theatre / Edition 1

by Stephen Di Benedetto

Overview

Di Benedetto considers theatrical practice through the lens of contemporary neuroscientific discoveries in this provoking study, which lays the foundation for considering the physiological basis of the power of theatre practice to affect human behavior. He presents a basic summary of the ways that the senses function in relation to cognitive science and physiology, offering an overview of dominant trends of discussion on the realm of the senses in performance. Also presented are examples of how those ideas are illustrated in recent theatrical presentations, and how the different senses form the structure of a theatrical event. Di Benedetto concludes by suggesting the possible implications these neuroscientific ideas have upon our understanding of theatrical composition, audience response, and the generation of meaning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415872676
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/30/2010
Series:	Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies , #13
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Stephen Di Benedetto is an Assistant Professor of Theatre History and Theory at the University of Miami, and is the Book Review Editor (North America) for Theatre Research International.

Table of Contents

Preface: Why Contemporary Performance Can Provoke the Senses Acknowledgments 1: Our Sensing Bodies: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Understanding Live Theatrical Experience 2: Scintillating Visions and Visual Perception: How Light, Movement and Stage Space Capture Our Attention and Stimulate Our Brains 3: Attendant to Touch: Cutaneous Stimulation and its Expressive Capabilities 4: Noses, Tongues and Other Surprising Possibilities: Harnessing Olfaction and Gustation in Performance 5: Aural Landscapes: Voices, Noises, Vibrations and Other Quivering Stimulators of Cochlear Perception 6: The Sentient Body: Guiding Somatic Responses Within Performative Structures Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"A thought-provoking exploration... reminds us forcibly that, at a fundamental, biological level, we are sensing animals before we are rational beings. ...the science is fascinating, and the questions are good ones." —Neal Swettenham, Loughborough University, Modern Drama, 54:2

"An important and timely contribution to the emerging field of cognitive studies and performance." —Theatre Research International, 36.2

From the Publisher