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Exploring Queer Temporalities: Unveiling the Revolutionary Potential of Queer Performance

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Published in Time Slips: Queer Temporalities Contemporary Performance And The Hole Of History (Performance Works)

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Time Slips: Queer Temporalities, Contemporary Performance, and the Hole of History (Performance Works)

by David Leavitt

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2985 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	201 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

In a world defined by rigid time constraints and linear narratives, queer performance emerges as a powerful force that disrupts and reconfigures the temporal Free Download, opening up new possibilities for understanding the past, present, and future. Queer Temporalities: Contemporary Performance and the Hole of History, a groundbreaking work by acclaimed scholar Brad MacKinnon, delves into the transformative potential of queer performance, shedding light on its ability to challenge dominant historical narratives and create alternative temporalities that are inclusive, diverse, and empowering.

Book Cover Of Queer Temporalities: Contemporary Performance And The Hole Of History Time Slips: Queer Temporalities Contemporary Performance And The Hole Of History (Performance Works)

Challenging Linear Temporality

Traditional historical narratives often perpetuate a narrow and exclusionary view of time, privileging certain perspectives and experiences while marginalizing others. Queer performance disrupts this linear temporality by introducing multiple and fragmented timelines, challenging the notion of a single, objective history. By embracing diverse perspectives and experiences, queer performance creates a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of the past.

For example, MacKinnon analyzes the work of performance artist Tim Miller, whose performances explore the experiences of queer people during the AIDS crisis. Miller's work disrupts the dominant narrative of the AIDS crisis, which often focuses on loss and tragedy, by highlighting moments of joy, resilience, and community. Through such performances, queer temporalities create alternative narratives that challenge the dominant historical record and give voice to marginalized experiences.

Creating New Temporal Possibilities

Queer performance not only disrupts linear temporality but also creates new temporal possibilities. By exploring alternative modes of performance, such as drag, performance art, and live art, queer artists create temporal spaces that are fluid, non-linear, and open to experimentation. These spaces allow for the exploration of different ways of being and relating, challenging normative conceptions of time and identity.

MacKinnon examines the work of performance artist Lisa Kron, whose play 2.5 Minute Ride explores the complex relationship between time and memory. Kron's play uses a non-linear structure to tell the story of her father's death, blurring the boundaries between past, present, and future. Through such innovative storytelling techniques, queer performance creates new temporal possibilities that allow for a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of human experience.

The Hole of History

Central to MacKinnon's analysis is the concept of the "hole of history," a metaphor for the gaps and absences in the historical record that leave out queer experiences. Queer performance, by bringing these marginalized experiences to light, fills in the holes of history and creates a more complete and inclusive understanding of the past. Through performances that explore queer histories, identities, and communities, queer artists challenge the dominant historical narrative and create new spaces for queer voices to be heard.

MacKinnon discusses the work of performance artist Nao Bustamante, whose work often explores the experiences of queer Latinx people. Bustamante's performances create a space for marginalized histories and voices, filling in the holes of history and giving visibility to experiences that have been overlooked or erased.

Queer Temporalities: Contemporary Performance and the Hole of History is a groundbreaking work that sheds light on the transformative potential of queer performance. By disrupting linear temporality, creating new temporal possibilities, and filling in the holes of history, queer performance challenges dominant historical narratives and creates a more inclusive and diverse understanding of the past, present, and future.

For scholars, artists, and anyone interested in queer theory, performance studies, or the intersection of history and performance, Queer Temporalities is an essential read. It offers a powerful and insightful analysis of the ways in which queer performance disrupts and reconfigures time itself, creating new possibilities for understanding and experiencing the world.

Time Slips: Queer Temporalities, Contemporary Performance, and the Hole of History (Performance Works)

by David Leavitt

5 out of 5