For Class on Thursday

For class on Thursday, please read pages 170-182, and revisit the entire chapter on Performativity. Since we did not discuss much of this chapter yesterday, and since our visiting artist has been rescheduled for Oct. 11, we will spend a lot of class this coming week on the Performativity chapter. Bring questions you may have, and be prepared to discuss and explain the important ideas covered.

Your second four-page paper is also due on Thursday, and if you have not emailed me a proposal for this paper, please do so ASAP. Finally, you will again need to post four new links on your del.icio.us site (and please remember to move your comments into the proper sections under the assignment posts).

Assignment Post pages 112-169

For class on Thursday, please read pages 112-169 and post at least two thoughtful comments on that reading (you may want to consider some of the following points). You should also have posted at least two thoughtful comments on our last class' game playing (see previous post) and have added four new links to your del.icio.us site. Your next four-page paper is due on Oct. 4.

• How might you explain "performativity" to a friend who has not read this chapter?
• What performative utterances have you been involved in, and how would you characterize their efficacy? Were there other elements involved that contributed to the essential happening/effectiveness?
• Explain/rephrase the essential arguments of one of the poststructuralists quoted in the text.
  
• What was your previous concept/understanding of postmodernism? How has this reading altered or extended that understanding? (or hasn't it?)
• Write about a performance art piece that you are aware of and critique it using at least one of the issues in the text.
  

Assignment Post: SCMRPG or Settlers of Catan

Today in class you had the opportunity to play either Super Columbine Massacre RPG or Settlers of Catan. Please post two comments describing and associating your experience of this game playing to issues from our recent reading on play. Regarding SCMPRG, you may choose to consider issues like the "ideologically loaded" contradictions between Batesonian and ethological theories as discussed on page 103; or experience, ideology, and/or frame as outlined on page 93. For Settlers of Catan, you might discuss structure and process in play (page 93), or ludus over paidia (page 106) and specific qualities of games.

If you are interested in an extra credit option, I will accept 500-word essays on this topic turned in to me or posted on the blog, but in academic writing style. However, for this extra credit, you must write on the game you did not play today. If you played SCMRPG today, you will need to write your extra credit paper on Settlers of Catan. If you do not own this game or know anyone who does, this can be accomplished by attending the Settlers of Catan-a-Thon / Exhibition Closing on November 17, 2007, 1:00 pm at the Gallery of Contemporary Art:

"We will host a Settlers of Catan-a-Thon at the Gallery to close the exhibition Manifest: Colonial Tendencies of the West. The “Game of the Year” in Germany, the U.S, and a host of other countries, The Settlers of Catan is a classic, stand-alone game for 3-4 players. You journey to the unsettled wilds of the grand new world known as Catan. It’s an exciting frontier, one rich in opportunity."

If you played Settlers of Catan today, you will need to visit the Gallery at your convenience and play SCMRPG for at least one hour. If you choose to write this extra credit paper, you can earn up to 15 points (the equivalent of your regularly assigned one-page papers) as long as it is completed by Tuesday, November 20.

Rec. Center

When we went to observe at the rec. center the first thing I noticed, wasn’t so much the smell or the music, but the glances at us, especially when we all sat down on the floor and pulled out notebooks. A few of the guys moved to the other side of the wall, even though it looked like they had just started exercising on the machine they were at. There were a lot of groups of two or three guys wandering around; sometimes stopping at a machine and one would do some reps before switching with another. The most interesting thing to watch was the guys faces while they were exercising. They either looked at the muscle they were exercising, like they needed to see that it was actually being worked, or they just grimaced, like it was an important part of exercising, it was tough and manly and a requirement to work out because it required intense concentration.
There was more wandering around then actually working out, laughing and joking and fooling around. I could not tell if this is normal behavior, but I tend to think not since every time I looked up from writing something down I could see very quick glances at us. Probably wondering why we were sitting around writing things down in a gym.

And now I remember why I don't live weights..

Ya' Know I remember being a kid a thinking that it would be really cool to lift weights. I thought that was what it took to be grown up, and thanks to my most recent visit to the new rec center I realized that weight lifting is the best way to avoid having to be a real grown up. Thanks to weight lifting, one is able to maintain the supremacy of being the biggest kid in the playground (and conversely I can be the littlest kid there still), simply by doing the most reps with the biggest weights. Fortunately, I noticed that lifting does have its intellectual merits, and several of the men even were required to take notes to remember how many reps they were at. Like 7. The showmanship behind this activity is truly fascinating, so much that most of the men refused to work out unless another was watching them, and the watcher made sure to make it seem as if he wasn't watching. Thankfully, I do know that if I ever have to go lift wieghts, I must wear a t-shirt until I gain around 1' of height and 35 pounds, after that a wife beater.

Working Out?

The first thing I noticed were the grimaces on the faces of the guys lifting weights. Do they all grimace? Unfortunately, no other guys were actively working out at the same time. Most of the time the guys walked around in groups of two or three. Occasionally one in the group would work out while the others watched. While working out the guys would grunt, adjust their groin, sweat, and turn red in the face. Often they stared intently at the part of their body being worked. Also, I noticed the less fit guys would watch the more fit work out, but not vice versa.
Over the clanging of weights I could easily hear the background music. It was loud and beat driven, often the words were not decipherable. Several of the guys would work out to the music, and one guy even danced a bit.
Overall, the guys seemed more interested in the idea of working out rather than actually getting a workout. They chatted amongst themselves, greeted each other and played around. However, it cannot be assumed this is their normal behavior because the appearance of their refined muscles would suggest they do actually work out somethime. Perhaps when they're not being watched by five people wearing street clothes and writing in notebooks.

For Class on Thursday

As a reminder, here is what you should have done by class on Thursday:

• Read pages 89-111 in the Schechner book (starting the chapter on "Play")
• Have your second one-page response paper ready to turn in
  
• Post your response to our in-class observational visit to the Recreation Center on the blog (thanks to Chris who has already done this!)
• Add four new links to your del.icio.us site with explanatory sentences
  

As always, email me with questions if you have any, and check your calendars so that you can let me know if you are able to attend the free performance of Truth in Translation at Colorado College on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2pm.

Are they there just to be seen?

When going to the gym or rec. center you should first notice the horrible music that always seems to be playing at those places. Is it by some strange coincidence that a lot of the people who work out in gyms wear headphones? After you notice the music and its awfulness you should notice the smell, usually bad because of all the man sweat that has been engrained into the equipment, however the smell here was still of newness. Being a small male, the first thing that happens when walking into a place full of muscle is that you get checked out by all the dudes, UCCS rec. center, no exception. The tallest guy there, who we shall call “Smiley” due to his constant smiling after working out, gave me the stare down before smiling and walking off, typical. The place was filled with all males, save one female. She was very interesting (AKA funny) to watch. She stood around for the longest time just watching one guy work out before she would work out for all of 10 seconds doing something she could do at home. It is very important for every guy when he walks into the rec. center to make sure that he walks in confidently, even the big fat guy walked in with a stride. It seemed like an unwritten wardrobe rule was in effect that everyone must wear shorts, the big guys must have wife beaters and the little guys must have t-shirts. Considering all the nice new equipment all lined up in that dentist office kind of fashion design, most people didn’t actually work out. Lots of people stood by machines, were on machines but weren’t doing anything, were talking to other people, or in the case of one guy, doing basketball tricks to show off to a few other people. It looked more like the people who go there are not there to better their physical performance, at least that is not their main goal. Their main goal is to be seen and they show off for anyone around. Being in a rec. center and in the weight section, the big guys hold the floor and they strut around knowing it. The big guys talk to other big guys and the little guys talk to other little guys. It was like watching a bunch of baboons show off to each other to establish who would be the dominate male of the clan, the only difference was that dominance ended when the alpha male left for the day and then somebody else took over.

America's Drug War

I saw the e-mail for the American Drug War presentation in the weekly e-mail and I was just curious as to where it was located. It doesn't say in the e-mail and I'm hoping you see this post Terrence because you seem to know the most about it. Thank You!

For Class on Thursday

By now, you each should have received an email from me with some feedback on your one-page papers. You also should have sent me a proposal for your paper due this coming Thursday (minimum four pages). I have not received proposals from everyone yet, so please send yours ASAP if you have not already done so, and if I sent you a follow-up question to your proposal, please respond.

By class on Thursday, you should have read pages 79-88 in the Schechner book (finishing the chapter on Ritual), added 4 new links with explanatory sentences to your del.icio.us page, and have your first 4-page paper ready to turn in. Also, don't forget to check your schedules and let me know if you will be attending the Truth in Translation performance at Colorado College on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2pm. I have one free ticket available per student.

More Upcoming Events--UPDATED

Opening: Manifest
September 14, 2007, 5:30 pm
The opening reception of Manifest will consist of digital and manual coloring book activities, food, fun, and some of the best contemporary art seen in the region. A reception for Gallery Supporters and UCCS students will begin at 5:30 p.m. Manifest artist Louise Noguchi will speak from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. At 7:00 we will open our doors to the public to view the exhibition and participate in Gallery activities until 9:00 p.m.

Soul Mechanics: Breakdancing Informance

Friday, September 21, 2007, 6:00 p.m.
As part of Mainfest: Colonial Tendencies of the West, Soul Mechanics (a Colorado Springs b-boy group) will present an “informance” (lecture/performance) at the Gallery of Contemporary Art. Soul Mechanic’s tight breakdancing moves reveal the myriad of cultural influences that created the phenomenon in 1970’s urban environments. Join us as we learn more about breakdancing, its culture, and roots.
This event is FREE and open to the public.

I am also trying to get tickets for the class to the September 22, 2007 (Saturday) Colorado Festival of World Theater performance of the play Truth in Translation in Armstrong Hall at Colorado College. I will keep you posted.

UPDATE: I will have 6 free tickets (one for each class member) available for this show hopefully by class on the 13th. Check your schedules, because I am only giving you a ticket if you are actually going to the show. If you don't know your work/life schedule by class on the 13th, you can still wait and get a ticket from me in class on the 20th. Here are more details on the show:

Truth in Translation

"The Festival is proud to be the primary producer and catalyst for the U.S. performances of the groundbreaking theatrical work, Truth inTranslation. Truth was created by Michael Lessac with music by Hugh Masekela, the most acclaimed jazz and blues musician in Africa. An extraordinary company of South African actors and musicians tells the story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This moving and passionate experience, presented in partnership with Colorado College, will touch many current issues being faced in the world today."

Armstrong Hall - Colorado College

14 E. Cache La Poudre

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Saturday, September 22, 2007

2:00 PM

Price: $23.00 to $45.00 USD (student tickets are $25, but you can get one free!)

http://www.cfwt.org/

Jump Rope Competition

I found this site for a competition in Denver on September 9, 2007, coming up this Sunday.
Hope its useful for someone.
http://www.denver365.com/Events/index.php?app=eventDetail&id=78217

Thoughts for your first Response Paper

Your first Response Paper is due on Thursday (Sept. 6). By class on Thursday, you should also have read pages 52-79 and have added 4 new links to your del.icio.us site. You should have at least 8 links on your del.icio.us page by Thursday. Please make sure to remember to add a sentence or two explaining the site and why it is of interest to you in the context of performance studies.

Your Response Paper should be at least one page long (double spacing is fine, but please use standard font sizes and margins, i.e., 16-point font is not cool). You should be responding to one of the performance types on your "Papers Chart." In your paper, you should include what you saw, where you saw it, and when you saw it. Please also remember to use academic writing style in these papers and to proofread, edit, and spell check.

After reading your exercises from class, I have a few points regarding your papers for you to keep in mind and consider. Your readings in the Schechner book will also have hopefully suggested considerations and perspectives to you.

• Choose one aspect of the performance to focus on for this length of paper. You can include peripheral information, but connecting all your main points to one focal action/event will allow you to delve deeper into the meaningful parts of your observations.
  
• Your paper should include some description of what you saw, but don't try to describe everything you saw -- you only have about one page and you need room for some analysis.
• Consider why what you saw happened, what choices by which participants were involved, and what the implications are.
• Be creative about the process of performing, observing, criticizing. Don't take the most obvious route, and remember that all of your suppositions do not need to be scientifically provable. We are dealing largely in theory and so you have some leeway, as long as you can back up your claim.

You will have your first longer paper due on Sept. 13. This will be largely the same as the shorter papers, but more developed with possibly a broader scope (you may decide to treat more than one aspect of the performance or compare two incidents to each other). You will need to give me a proposal for each of the longer papers, including what you will be writing about, and the angle you plan to take (what you will be looking for or how you will be treating your subject matter). This proposal can be written and given to me this coming Thursday, or emailed to me. Just don't wait until a couple days before it's due, since I may give you a response that will require some reworking.

As always, email me or talk to me in class if you have questions or concerns.

Upcoming Visual Arts Exhibitions

For your information, here is the Denver Post's new list of recommended upcoming gallery and museum exhibitions in the region:

http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment_old/ci_6763723