The Future of Ritual: Writings on Culture and Performance

by Richard Schechner

A brilliant examination of cultural expression and communal action, The Future of Ritual asks pertinent questions about art, theatre and the changing meaning of 'culture' in today's intercultural world.

Genres: Art, Theory

296 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 1993

Reviews

[Lisa Orki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was essentially interested into Wayang Kulit. Schechner explains how wayang evolved, especially under the Dutch colonialism. From a "religious" art, it turned into a teacher art with many written rules. With Indenonesia independence, wayang became politic and manipulated by different government.
Schechner opens the question of a "traditional" vs. "modernist" wayang and if it does still has a meaning nowadays or did it become a Western distraction ...

Definitely a great book. Good to have another point of view of Wayang, probably reflecting reality of the field. it is confronting which is very good for my research of wayang.

[Michael Meeuwis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find Schechner's "Performance Theory" (not exactly an indie pick) an endlessly useful text for generating ideas, and was excited to read some of his other work. The two long descriptions of performance events in India and Java are interesting, but not terribly analytic--I just didn't find there was much there in excess of a narrative description of the events happening. I feel like the big theoretical payoff promised by the last chapter, which is called "The Future of Ritual," never really happens.