War as Performance, 1st ed. 2018 Conflicts in Iraq and Political Theatricality

This book examines performance in the context of the 2003 Iraq War and subsequent conflicts with Daesh, or the so-called Islamic State. Working within a theater and performance studies lens, it analyzes adaptations of Greek tragedy, documentary theater, political performances by the Bush administration, protest performances, satiric news television programs, and post-apocalyptic narratives in popular culture. By considering performance across genre and media, War as Performance offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of culture, warfare, and militarization, and argues that spectacular and banal aesthetics of contemporary war positions performance as a practice struggling to distance itself from appropriation by the military for violent ends. Contemporary warfare has infiltrated our narratives to such an extent that it holds performance hostage. As lines between the military and performance weaken, this book analyzes how performance responds to and potentially shapes war and conflict in the new century.

1. Introduction: The Intersection of War and Performance.- 2. Impresarios and Protestors: From the Bush Administration to Cindy Sheehan.- 3. Ancient Wars, Endless War: Adaptations of Greek Tragedy.- 4. Not Just “Over There”: Theater of the Real and Iraqi Voices.- 5. Ideologically Liberal and Formally Conservative: Satire, News, and Truthiness.- 6. War After the End: Post-Apocalyptic Narratives After 9/11.- 7. Epilogue: War as Performance.

​Lindsey Mantoan is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Linfield College, USA. She is co-editor of Performance in a Militarized Culture and You Win or You Die: Essays on Gender, Death, and Power in Game of Thrones. 

Offers a unique, interdisciplinary approach to the study of culture and warfare Puts forth new scholarship by approaching performance broadly and understanding twenty-first century warfare and performance as inextricably linked Addresses a range of performance genres not covered here, such as satirical news and post-apocalyptic narratives