Meeting the Moment: Socially Engaged Performance, 19652020, by Those Who Lived It

"Composes the recollections of socially engaged theater makers and performers to discuss the challenges and adaptations of the field. Meeting the Moment explores experiences of a diverse range of progressive theater and performance makers in the U.S., intheir own words, since 1965. These performers, often unknown beyond their immediate audience, articulate diverse influences. Curated stories from over 75 interviews and informal exchanges offers insight into the field and point out limitations due to discrimination and unequal opportunity for performance artists over the past 55 years. They also reflect on how artists are educated and supported, what content is deemed valuable and how it is brought to bear, as well as which audiences are welcome and whether cross-community exchange is encouraged. The book's voices from the field point to more diverse and inclusive practices and give hope for the future of the art"--
The experiences of a diverse range of progressive theater and performance makers in their own words.Curated stories from over 75 interviews and informal exchanges offer insight into the field and point out limitations due to discrimination and unequal opportunity for performance artists in the United States over the past 55 years. In this work, performers, often unknown beyond their immediate audience, articulate diverse influences. They also reflect on how artists are educated and supported, what content is deemed valuable and how it is brought to bear, as well as which audiences are welcome and whether cross-community exchange is encouraged. The book’s voices bring the reader from 1965 through the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. They point to more diverse and inclusive practices and give hope for the future of the art.