Presence in Performance: An Enigmatic Quality

Abstract

During the twentieth-century there were significant challenges to the notion of ‘presence’ in theatre. At the beginning of the century, traditional repertory theatre had been under attack for being superficial and frivolous. These critiques were accompanied by significant shifts in ideas about the role of theatre, and changing notions about what constitutes good performance. There were a number of remarkable experiments in acting practices and in the training of actors to be more present: notably those of Konstantin Stanislavsky early in the century, and later, the work of Jerzy Grotowski. These made demands on trainees for a higher level of engagement in performing their role. However, following French philosopher Jacques Derrida’s critique of ‘presence’ in the 1960s, a ‘postmodern turn’ in theatre studies and practice de-substantiated notions of ‘presence’ and re-framed them as illusions and subterfuge. Derrida’s critique was powerful and led to changes in understanding of terms like ‘presence’ and the actor’s ‘self.’ In hindsight however, the reach of philosophy had been exaggerated in assuming that this significant element of performance was necessarily disempowered by a challenge to its metaphysical substantiality. An alternative perspective is that a non-substantive and more enigmatic understanding of ‘presence’ enriches, rather than undermines, theatrical possibilities.

The chapter lays the groundwork for understanding ‘presence’ in terms of actions taken by an actor, rather than ‘presence’ as a metaphysical entity, and it prepares for a following chapter ‘Ethics and performance: enacting presence’ in which ethics is related to acting with heightened attentiveness and awareness.