William O. Beeman
William O. Beeman (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota. He formerly taught at Brown University for more than 30 years where he was Professor of Anthropology; Theatre, Speech and Dance; and Director of Middle East Studies. A linguistic anthropologist, he specializes in discourse analysis and performance studies. His research has centered on the Middle East, particularly Iran; Japan, South Asia and Europe, where he performed as an opera singer in Germany. Among his publications are “Language, Status and Power in Iran”; “Culture, Performance and Communication in Iran” ; “The ‘Great Satan’vs. the ‘Mad Mullas’”: “How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other”; and “The Third Line: The Opera Performer as Interpreter”, which he wrote with opera stage director, Daniel Helfgot.
Preface and acknowledgments
Chapter 1: PERFORMANCE—A KEY TO UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
Performance Theory, Anthropology and Cultural Understanding.
The Ethnography of Iranian Performance.
Discovering Objects and Settings.
Analyzing Iranian Performance.
Seeing Regularities and Patterns.
Analyzing Positively and Negatively Valued Performance Activity.
Understanding the Big Picture.
Cultural Performances and Social Meaning.
Drama and Social Drama—Special Forms of Cultural Performance.
Seeing What Performance Can Do.
Conclusion—What Cultural Analysts Gain in the Study of Performance.
References
Chapter 2: IRANIAN THEATRE—ROOTED IN TRADITION
The Ancient Past.
From Alexander to the Moghul Empires.
Traditional Theatre from the 16th to 19th Centuries.
Puppet Drama.
Narrative forms
Ta’ziyeh.
Comic Improvisatory Theatre.
The Advent of Western Theatre.
Popular Theatre in the 20th Century.
Religious Epic Theatre.
The 20th-century Rise of National Theatres.
References
Chapter 3: SOURCES OF MEANING IN IRANIAN FOLK CULTURE
Folk Customs and Ritual—the Basis for Traditional Performance.
Music and Poetry in Everyday Life.
Communion with Nature.
Socializing as a Meaningful Activity.
Urban Entertainments.
Symbolism in Traditional Celebrations.
References
Chapter 4. DYNAMICS AND CHANGE IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
The Integration of Musical Tradition.
Dimensions of Contrast in Iranian Music.
Changes in Urban and Rural Music Traditions.
Ideological Sources of Change.
Music and Islam.
Music, Qur’an and Hadith.
Accommodating Islamic Tradition—Minority Communities.
Ta’ziyeh as an “Approved” Form of Performance.
The Classical Sub-stratum.
Fringe Regions.
Music, Change and Conflict.
The More Things Change.
REFERENCES
Chapter 5. TA’ZIYEH AND RU-HOZI: SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION IN POPULAR PERFORMANCE.
Iranian Performance Traditions: Vital Social Institutions.
Ta’ziyeh.
Ru-hozi.
Traditional Performance as Symbolic Communication.
REFERENCES
Chapter 6. SYMBOLIC CONVENTIONS IN PERFORMANCE 1:THE LOGIC OF REPRESENTATION IN TA’ZIYEH
Performance and the Logic of Culture.
Ta’ziyeh as a Performance Genre.
Representation in Ta’ziyeh.
The Meaning of Representational Conventions in ta’ziyeh.
Actor Styles and Actor Training.
A Profession Noble and Ignoble.
Skill Sets.
Actor Education.
Exercises.
Horses.
History of Styles.
Rehearsals.
The Evolution of Ta’ziyeh Acting Styles.
REFERENCES
Chapter 7. THE DYNAMICS OF HUMOR IN RU-HOZI COMEDY
Performance and Its Effects.
Performer Interaction: Message Production.
Performer-Spectator Interaction: Message Reception.
Improvisatory Performance and Iranian Culture: Message Interpretation.
Conclusion: Interaction in Performance.
References
Chapter 8. PERFORMING RELIGIOUS ROLES: ACCOMPLISHING THE SACRED
The Scapegoat: Periodic, Occasional, Venerated, Scorned.
Scapegoating in Iranian Folk Performance.
Imam Hossein--Sacred Scapegoat as an Ideal Type.
Omar—The Ideal Scourged Scapegoat.
Seasonal Scapegoating.
Performance Again.
References
Chapter 9. PERFORMING ROLES IN IRANIAN THEATRE: ACCOMPLISHING IDENTITY THROUGH PERFORMATIVE SYMBOLS
Demonstrating What You Are.
The mimetic function.
Theatrical Representation in Iranian Theater.
Forms of Performance in Iran.
The Representation of Women.
Cultural and Dramatic Functions of Female Representation.
Mimesis in Traditional Theater.
The Non-arbitrary Symbol of Iranian Womanhood.
References
Chapter 10. PERFORMING COMEDY IN THE COMIC TRADITIONS OF ASIA.
Humor
The Effects of Comic performance.
The Functions of Comic Performance.
A Unified Tradition.
Troupe Composition.
Occasions for Performance.
The Forms.
Levels of Interaction and the Clown.
REFERENCES
CHAPTER 11. THE MASS MEDIA AND THE REVOLUTION—BEFORE AND AFTER
The New Medium—Tape Cassettes.
International Broadcast Media.
Torture, Film and Television.
The Search for Cultural Purity.
Torture, Television, and Iran’s Interaction with the West.
Media and Performing arts in Iran—A Shifting Cultural Role.
REFERENCES
Illustrations.
Bibliography.
Index.