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Humans have always marked time, whether by using the earth's natural rhythms or with the clock. Unlike pre- industrial people, living in an age of social acceleration is dominated by clock-time and network time, presenting many more options than can possibly be achieved in a human lifespan.
This book explores the possibility of an alternative experience of time, one that is closer to the pure duration described by philosopher Henri Bergson. The discussions in this book contribute to contemporary performance analysis, philosophy and Bergson studies as well as exploring aspects of immersive and participatory performance, walking practices, ritual and online performance.
Using durational performances as case studies, the author demonstrates new insights into Bergson’s philosophy alongside key theorists in psychology and anthropology. Through a series of performance analyses, Bergson's philosophy of duration is coupled with ideas from Maslow, Csikszentmihalyi and Victor Turner to speculate on the possibilities available in challenging an experience of the world in which time is short, but the possibility of experience is abundant.
The main audience is an academic and student market. Undergraduate and postgraduate students of theatre studies, performance and the performing arts, doctoral researchers, researchers interested in time and performance, the relationship between performance and philosophy, those with an interest in philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and psychology will all find much of interest.
Potential wider readership in those who are interested in the phenomenon of social acceleration, in performance philosophy as well in Bergson’s philosophy.
'This volume invites diverse disciplines to engage with Bergson’s conceptions of pure duration and memory, presenting a manifesto for durational performance’s potential to challenge contemporary society’s prevailing experience of time... One of the most effective techniques Layton employs is placing Bergson’s ideas in historical context while simultaneously relating them to contemporary cultural phenomena. This dual perspective allows readers to appreciate the enduring relevance of Bergson’s thought while simultaneously demonstrating how our contemporary world views ideas of duration, memory, and time...
While researchers will find Layton’s work thought-provoking, one of the volume’s real strengths lies in its potential as a model for emerging researchers. The author’s measured, careful approach to contextualising not only Bergson’s concept of durational time but the parallels between Bergson’s historical moment and the author’s is a masterclass in the weaving together of disparate but fascinating threads. It is also an exceptional work for guiding scholars of other disciplines into conversation not just about Bergson but about audience response in general. Game studies, anthropology, sociology, literature, and disciplines intersecting with the concept of storytelling and time will find his work provocatory, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in performance theory, philosophy, or the intersection of art and society. The book’s meticulous analysis and accessible writing style make it a compelling read for a wide variety of levels, offering practical and theoretical windows into how performance can reshape our experience of time in an era of relentless acceleration.'
List of Figures
Prologue: 15 April 1912
Introduction
PART ONE
1. Bergson, Pure Memory and Pure Duration
2. Bergson and Durational Performance: Duration, Immersion, Participation, Ritual
3. Durational Performance in a Socially Accelerated Culture: Clock-Time + Network Time = No Time
4. Durational Performance as a Challenge to Smooth Consumption
PART TWO
5. Peak Time: Bergson and Maslow
6. Flow Time: Bergson and Csikszentmihalyi
7. Time Together: Bergson and Turner
8. Hotel Medea: Memory, Duration and Peak-Experience in an Accelerated Culture
9. All These Are the Days My Friends: Duration and Flow in Einstein on the Beach
10. Walking, Communitas, Ritual and Transformation
11. Marking, Making, Remarking, Remaking Time: Bergson and the Future of Durational Performance
Epilogue: A Manifesto for Durational Performance
Postscript: Arriving at the Crack of Dawn for a Plagueground Game Show
Bibliography
Index