The actor's bodies

Abstract

This paper analyzes the ways in which the actor's body asserts a presence on the stage by arguing that the actor on stage establishes at least seven distinct kinds of corporeal presence, seven ontologically distinct bodies, each with its own kind of interior, exterior, and autonomy. The discussion ranges from Broadway shows to ordeal artists and includes comments on Richard Foreman, Holly Hughes, Ron Vawter, Robbie McCauley, and Bill T. Jones, among others.