Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 09:56:19 +0800
Subject: Postcolonial, performance and mapping



Dear all

I thought you might be interested in a new book on Australian Performance.
It is called "Mapping Cultural Identity in Contemporary Australian
Performance."published by Peter Lang. http://www.peterlang.net

This book is an important addition to the current body of scholarly
material on contemporary performance and theatre as it provides both a
detailed focus on a number of important performance works as well as
developing a framework for the interpretation of contemporary performance.
Through a detailed critical reading of four key Australian performance
pieces 'Tiger Country', 'Ningali', 'The 7 Stages of Grieving', and 'The
Geography of Haunted Places' the author demonstrates the myriad ways in
which cultural identity can be represented and interpreted in performance.
Grehan takes as her point of departure questions of place, belonging and
cultural identity as they are currently considered and uses these questions
to formulate an analytical framework for contemporary performance. Drawing
on theoretical ideas of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, Rosi Braidotti
and Edward Casey, the author develops her own theory of mapping a an
analytical tool which is adaptable and contingent, and can facilitate the
opening up of the multiple layers of meaning within contemporary
performance. In the process questions are raised about the relevance of
terms such as belonging, place and representation within the often fraught
post-colonial cultural landscape.

Regards
Debbie

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