Performance Beyond the Pale: Meditations on Art, Activism, and Bodies in Extremis
Hardcover
Theater HistoryPerformance Art
ISBN13: 9780472078332
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Published: Nov 9 2026
Pages: 326
Weight: 1.00
Language: English
The metaphor beyond the pale refers to something that's unacceptable and, as James M. Harding argues in this book, almost always refers to something--an activity, an action, or an act--that is performed. In this book, Harding recalls that historically the pale marked contested political boundaries and that what lay beyond the pale was considered to be a dangerous frontier. Siding with seemingly excessive and unreasonable acts and with the artists and activists who produce them, Harding brings together a series of ideas and performances that operate beyond the pale and asks readers to examine them on their own terms.
Drawing on political science, critical theory, and philosophy, Harding investigates instances of self-immolation, life-threatening journeys across deserts and seas, radical political hoaxes, extreme speech acts, and anti-police activism. The book's five chapters consist of a series of meditations, each with an easily identifiable scholarly logic and clear argument, though the connections between the meditations are left up to the reader. Together these meditations urge readers to understand that beyond the pale acts are frequently the product of a sense of urgency that preempts the dictates of accepted reason, conventional logic, and safety.
1 different editions
Also available
Performance Beyond the Pale: Meditations on Art, Activism, and Bodies in Extremis
Harding, James M.
Paperback
Also from
Harding, James M.
Performance Beyond the Pale: Meditations on Art, Activism, and Bodies in Extremis
Harding, James M.
Paperback
Also in
Performance Art
Disobedient Women: Decolonial Movements of Afro-Queer Puerto Rican Artists
Valecce, Anastasia
Paperback
Anishinaabe-Niimi'iding: An Anishinaabe Ceremonial Dance
Staples, Lee Obizaan
Gonzalez, Chato Ombishkebines
Paperback
There's a Criminal Touch to Art: How Ulay Stole Hitler's Favorite Painting and Redefined Performance Art
Charney, Noah
Hardcover
The Ultimate Scenes for Screen: A Self-Tape Practice Book for Young Actors
Watkinson, Joanne
Paperback
Designing Broadway: How Derek McLane and Other Acclaimed Set Designers Create the Visual World of Theatre
McLane, Derek
Mell, Eila
Hardcover
Beyond the Dream Syndicate: Tony Conrad and the Arts After Cage: A "Minor" History
Joseph, Branden W.
Paperback
Art Beyond the Edge: Creativity and Conflict in a World on Fire
Levine, Mark
Reynolds, Bryan
Paperback
Befriending Performance Anxiety: Practical Tips for Performers of All Levels
Pestova Bennett, Xenia
Paperback
Creative Catalyst: Empowering Experience Design Teams from Ideation to Production
Ozier, Kile
Paperback
Salted Earth: Poetics of Place and Migration Through Four Journeys in Search of Salt
Beinart, Katy
Paperback
Mothers of Invention: The Feminist Roots of Contemporary Art
Heartney, Eleanor
Posner, Helaine
Princenthal, Nancy
Hardcover
Beyond the Spotlight: How to Survive and Thrive in the Real World of Acting and Performing Arts
Bull
Morden
Paperback
Creative and Successful Set Designs: How to Make Imaginative Sets with Limited Resources
Muffatti, Todd
Hardcover
Dazzle Camouflage: Spectacular Theatrical Strategies for Resistance and Resilience
Nepon, Ezra Berkley
Paperback
Art Beyond the Edge: Creativity and Conflict in a World on Fire
Levine, Mark
Reynolds, Bryan
Hardcover
The House Manager's Diary: A Guide to Customer Service for Regional and Community Theaters
Callaway, Mike
Paperback
The Positive Path for Actors: How to Stop Second-Guessing Your Talent & Start Kicking A$$ in Your Career
Shaw, Shari
Paperback
Theatre for Lifelong Learning: A Handbook for Instructors, Older Adults, Communities, and Artists
Lau, Linda
Mansfield, Rae
Paperback
Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World
Pilcher, Lara Bianca
Paperback
Risk Work: Making Art and Guerrilla Tactics in Punitive America, 1967-1987
Gleisser, Faye Raquel
Hardcover
Rhythm in Postdramatic Performance Process: Voyages into the Work of Mime Omnibus, Dairakudakan and SITI Company
Samur, Sebastian
Hardcover
Paw to Pointe: An Irrefutable Coalition of Canine Wisdom and Ballet Truth
Mulcahy, Sallyann
Hardcover
From the Pot to the Earth at Rochester Square: Clay, Garden, and Food: A Composition of Artworks, Dinners, Words, and People
Anfossi, Francesca
Paperback
Resistance and Politics in Contemporary East African Theatre: Trends in Ugandan Theatre Since 1960
Kasule, Sam
Hardcover
Black Patience: Performance, Civil Rights, and the Unfinished Project of Emancipation
Fleming Jr, Julius B.
Paperback
Big Brain, Little Hands: How to Develop Children's Musical Skills Through Songs, Arts, and Crafts
Medici, Suzanne
Paperback
Paw to Pointe: An Irrefutable Coalition of Canine Wisdom and Ballet Truth
Mulcahy, Sallyann
Paperback
