Masked Performance: The Play of Self and Other in Ritual and Theatre

Missing dust jacket, green cloth boards have minor wear, binding sound, pages have highlighting. . Contents include: Playing and Masking: Observations on Masked Performance in Papua New Guinea and Beyond; Dealing with the Demonic: Strategies of Containment in Hindu Iconography and Performance; Playing with the Past: Visitation and Illusion in the Mask Theatre of Bali; Jelatik Goes to Blambangan: A Topeng Pajegan Performance; The Domains of Topeng; A Joker in the Deck: Hajari Bhand of Rajasthan; A Capacity for Wonder. An exploration of the cultural, theatrical, and symbolic significance of masks and masked performance across ritual and dramatic traditions. This scholarly work examines the relationship between identity, transformation, representation, and the interplay of self and other through the use of masks in performance.Drawing on perspectives from theatre studies, anthropology, cultural history, and performance theory, the book considers how masks function as instruments of storytelling, ceremonial expression, social identity, and artistic interpretation. It explores the ways masked performance can blur boundaries between performer and character, individual and community, and the sacred and theatrical.Of interest to students, scholars, theatre practitioners, anthropologists, and readers interested in ritual traditions, comparative performance, and the cultural meanings of masks.…