The Limits of Performance

Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium
Villanova University
Villanova, PA

Conference Theme:
The Limits of Performance
Keynote Speaker: Richard Schechner
January 12, 2010


The Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium is seeking abstracts for papers for its fourth annual gathering of theatre scholars and practitioners. This year’s PTRS seeks to highlight the work of new scholars in the area of Performance Studies and Theatre. The symposium offers the opportunity to present work in progress and to share ideas with other researchers.

The PTRS is pleased to announce that the 2010 Keynote Speaker will be the renowned theatre artist and scholar Richard Schechner. As the influential founder of the Performance Studies Department at NYU, Schechner is also a theorist whose work has transformed the study and practice of theater production.

The theme for the 2010 PTRS invites papers that consider performance in its broadest definition. Topics may include queries into changing paradigms of performance, site specific theatre practices, theatre and theory, the performance of the everyday, gender and performance, race and performance, the economy of theatre, and politics and performance.

We are proud to announce that this year’s symposium will launch an accompanying journal. Participants in the conference are eligible for publication consideration. This journal will include established scholars but seeks to create publishing opportunities for new scholars and practitioners in the area of theatre and performance studies.

Abstracts of 250 words or less should be submitted to Dr. David Cregan at david.cregan@villanova.edu.


A series of panels will begin at 10am followed by Richard Schechner’s keynote address at 3pm.

The deadline for submission is December 1, 2009.