The idea of trauma has become so used in the public sphere as to become almost meaningless in its ubiquity. But this is also to say that we live in a historical moment in which society feels bound to its traumatic experiences. Trauma, it would seem, has become a cultural trope. Furthermore, contemporary trauma theory suggests a performative bent in traumatic suffering itself \u2013 the trauma-symptom is, after all, a rehearsal, re-presentation, re-performance of the trauma-event. This is not to trivialise traumatic suffering or detract from the insistence that trauma narratives must adequately, truthfully, be borne witness to so as not to diminish the weight of the original event. On Trauma explores a range of instances in which performance becomes a productive frame through which to address traumata and\/or where trauma theory illuminates performance. With papers examining topics from African funeral rituals to witnessing, and ethics to Argentinean scratches, this issue of Performance Research benefits from a cross-cultural dynamic which brings together academic articles on and artistic responses to performance that embodies, negotiates, negates or provokes trauma.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Editorial
\nMick Wallis, Patrick Duggan
\npp. 1 – 3
\nTrauma and Performance: Maps, narrative and folds
\nPatrick Duggan, Mick Wallis
\npp. 4 – 17
\nThe Mask Series (1998- ) [artist\u2019s pages]
\nVictoria Halford
\npp. 18 – 19
\n\u2018If There\u2019s No Justice \u2026\u2019: Trauma and identity in post-dictatorship Argentina
\nDiego Benegas
\npp. 20 – 30
\nWhose Memory? Whose Justice?: Personal and political trauma in Ariel Dorfman\u2019s Death and the Maiden
\nJames Weaver, Jeanne Colleran
\npp. 31 – 42
\nA Dance of Many Bodies: Moving trauma in Susana Tambutti\u2019s La pu\u00f1alada
\nVictoria Fortuna
\npp. 43 – 51
\nAdonis Flores: Paranoia as the cult of emptiness
\nElvia Rosa Castro
\npp. 52 – 58
\nThe Performance of Violence and the Ethics of Spectatorship
\nLisa Fitzpatrick
\npp. 59 – 67
\nNever Again and its Discontents
\nLaurie Beth Clark
\npp. 68 – 79
\nFolding Trauma: On Alfredo Jaar\u2019s installations and interventions
\nMichael Levan
\npp. 80 – 90
\nSta(i)r Falling
\nBranislava Kuburovi\u0107
\npp. 91 – 101
\nIntolerable Acts
\nAnna Harpin
\npp. 102 – 111
\nTrauma, Authenticity and the Limits of Verbatim
\nAmanda Stuart Fisher
\npp. 112 – 122
\nMercy Seat [artist\u2019s pages]
\nJules Dorey Richmond, David Richmond
\npp. 123 – 130
\nAfrican Funeral Rites: Sites for performing, participating and witnessing of trauma
\nVictor Ukaegbu
\npp. 131 – 141
\nActing Out Trauma in the Theatre of Embarrassment: George Tabori\u2019s Shylock Improvisations
\nAntje Diedrich
\npp. 142 – 152
\nArchitecture as Frame for Trauma: Video installations by Paul McCarthy
\nAnna-Lena Werner
\npp. 153 – 163
\nTrauma and Erasure [artist\u2019s page]
\nGwynneth Vanlaven
\npp. 164 – 164
\nNotes on Contributors
\npp. 165 – 166<\/p>\n\n\n