• From the adaptation and staging of texts, to the exploration of rituals and festivals, to the study of performance in everyday life, students in the department enter the world of performance and performance theory as an important and emerging field of study.
  • Specific courses in the Department of Performance Studies focus on the study of literature through solo performance; the ensemble adaptation and staging of poetic, narrative, and nonfictional texts; intercultural performance; cultural studies and performance ethnography; performance theory and criticism; and performance art. Outside the classroom, additional performance opportunities enable students to develop further their performance work and bring it to a wider audience.
  • The Department of Performance Studies began as the Department of Interpretation with a focus on literature and on the art of interpretation as a means of understanding literature and bringing it to life through oral reading. The department's name was changed in 1984 to reflect a widening of the department's focus beyond (though still inclusive of) literary texts, and recognizing performance as a means for exploring a wide range of experiences and events.