Critically Considering Embodied Cognition and Research in Theatre and Performance
Theatre research international June 22, 2022 DOI: 10.1017/s0307883322000074 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that theatre and performance discourse should re-examine how embodiment is conceptualized in practical and interdisciplinary accounts of cognition, and that researchers using scientific accounts of embodiment must accept that all research, not just practice, is an embodied act. |
Abstract
This article offers a critically reflective discussion of and suggestions towards the role of embodied cognitive science within theatre and performance discourse. Through a critical analysis of literature that takes its lead from within the framework of embodied cognition, this article argues that theatre and performance discourse may need to re-examine how embodiment is conceptualized within practical and interdisciplinary accounts of cognition. By exploring specific foundations and driving premises of embodied and classic cognition respectively, this article suggests that if researchers are going to use scientific accounts of embodiment to better understand embodied cognition in theatre and performance, then they must, by their own estimations, accept that all research, and not just practice, is an embodied act.