His presentation “Theatricalized Bodies on the Postdramatic Stage” used postdramatic theatre as a theoretical framework, introduced several practices that center the body as a corporal being, and proposed how theatre offers possibilities to not only enhance the discourse on the body in various cultural and socio-political contexts but also center the body in the storytelling and offer positive, equitable, and compassionate portrayals of the body as an artistic expression. He presented Butoh, Romeo Castellucci's production On the Concept of the Face: Regarding the Son of God (2011), Suzan-Lori Park’s Venus (1996), and Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living (2016) as examples showing how the stage can center the body as a vulnerable corporal being and an essential element in storytelling. He concluded with the prospect of theatrical translation as a practice that can extend the artistic expressions of storytelling centered on the body as well as the discourse on the body across cultures and countries.
Walter Byongsok Chon (Theatre) Presents on Postdramatic Theatre at Symposium at Cornell University.
By Walter Byongsok Chon, May 15, 2023