A book of its time (60s-early 80s), but I'm glad I finally came to it. Generally it contrasts the theories and practices of western innovators (Stanislavski et. al., Brecht, Grotowski, Brooks) against the rituals and traditions of eastern institutions (Kathakali, Noh, Kabuki, ritual events of Bali, India, especially Ramlila). Fascinating diagrams accompany the discussion of performance theory. Loved the essays on performance in "Restoration of Behavior," and "Transported and Transformed." And for both the actor and director, the argument that performance exists somewhere between the "not-me and not-not-me" is compelling.

Victor Turner wrote the forward to this book.

He is not its designer

Schechner's Performance Theory marks a watershed in the study of performance. It should be on the bookshelf of anyone concerned with theater, anthropology, or ritual.

This book is great for all ages! I would recomend it for anyone looking for a fun innocent adventure novel writen by a devoted father and his son. I agree this book is a must buy!

Admittedly -- and literally -- the work of a ten-year-old, this book still charms you, and takes barely half-an-hour to read. It's not spectacular, but its scope and vision (spanning a voyage from Antarctica to to Martinique and beyond) do captivate. I'd say it's a must-buy, especially as a first-edition.

The Grotowski sourcebook might be a bit expensive, but is surely worth the price. It is the only book I know that covers not only Grotowski's production period (up to the 70'S), but also his post-theatre experiments, which are much more interesting than you could expect. Schechner and Wolford managed to build a real Grotowski bible. Thumbs up!

This long awaited book by Richard Schechner breaks the traditional boundaries of how theatre is to be studied. He assures us through numerous examples, comments, quotations, and theories how interrelated theatre is with life and life with theatre. To see performance as a part of life and as an extension of it is to see performance with a clarity that has never before been discussed in such depth.

By the end of the book, which is probably more useful as a reference than even as a textbook that students read chapter by chapter (though it does offer great possibilities for creatively integrating in the classroom as it was intended), one has more questions than answers, and that is a good thing, because the questions become more focused and more relevant and more conducive to individual introspection. As a college professor in Theatre, I find that refreshing and valuable.

This is a seminal work, and should certainly be on every theatre practitioner's bookshelf, if not in their hands.

The book contains nudity and language in the examples of performance he gives, so is not suitable for children.

Though the book is hopelessly outdated and the author clearly does not write for people outside of academic and sociological circles, Pepper does come up with some unique insights about street performers and improptu theater. I definitely saw Washington Square Park differently after reading this.

My name is Peter Shub. I appear throughout the book beginning already on page 1. Was a long time ago that I was a street performer. Was wonderful training and preperation for what followed as a theatre career. Now I am in Germany and hope that Sally finds me again. Could lead to another book...a comicbook.

The very idea of this book fascinated me: analyzing street performers to gain insight into the nature of human performance in other venues. I'd long revered the work of street performers - watching the likes of Butterfly Man in San Francisco, for example - as they engaged their audiences in ways seldom seen on the indoor platform stage. But it took Harrison-Pepper's tome to help me understand intellectually what I had admired viscerally. Her analysis of the street performers in New York's Washington Square Park, conducted over a stretch of four years, captured my imagination and elevated my own sense of what it takes to truly make performances connect. I loved her portrayals of Mitchell Cohen, Charlie Barnett, Chang, the Millses, and the venerable Tony Vera. There is much to be learned from their performances about acting spontaneously and creating sociable environments (from "found space"). Many people would find their jobs enriched if they were to view their work as street theatre; many designers - from web site developers and trade show exhibitors to mall developers and retail store managers - would benefit from understanding Harrison-Pepper's analysis of Star, Funnel, Spiral, and Ring design elements. If you want to be a better performer, you'd do well to read this book.