Let us start with a definition, from the dictionary:

‘The state, condition, or period subsequent to that which is modern; spec. in architecture, the arts, literature, politics, etc., any of various styles, concepts, or points of view involving a conscious departure from modernism, esp. when characterized by a rejection of ideology and theory in favour of a plurality of values and techniques. Also in extended use in general contexts, freq. used ironically.’

So what that is saying in essence is that post-modernism is not like modernism and departs from its values and ideology in place for techniques and a completely different set of values.  In order for this to make any sense a brief description of modernism would then seem necessary.  Modernism came about post World War One and was trying to find a new beginning for humanity, to revolt against the effects of the Industrial Revolution and its scrabble for power and wealth and find common ground for all of humanity.  To attempt to find things that everyone has in common and, build things for practical use, organised and functional, to push humanity forward and leave the past mistakes behind.  If you were to consider post-modernism as the polar opposite you would be far off, in fact as far as architecture was concerned many post-modern designs were, ‘not designed to be functional, nor even intended to be built.’

What does post-modernism do, ‘especially when it’s non-dramatic, non-narrative, non-linear, and “abstract” performances behave as if there were no boundaries.’  Post-modernism explores the idea that, not only are we all different, that we can’t be sure what we perceive or to put it another way, that we can only view things through concepts.  It’s a fairly complicated idea to understand so let’s take a flag, for this instant the British flag.  Each section and colour holds a meaning.  We know this but if we, for the moment, forget what a flag is, forget the concept of flags, it becomes a meaningless mixture of coloured lines.  So no matter what we are looking at it is always through these concepts of what things are.  Even language is a concept and the meaning behind words.  Post-modernism tries to explore the idea of not having concepts and the uncertainty that causes.

Let’s take Robert Wilson’s ‘Death Destruction and Detroit’ as an example: ‘his reception depends on audience expectations about the theatre as an institution, not about the work itself.’  So the work is less important in this sense than what the audience is expecting and what sort of establishment it is being performed in.  The idea that a performance can be interrupted in one way in one country and then if performed else where a complete different meaning emerges seems to be a theme within post-modern performances.  This probably occurs due to them being abstract, the sound or music doesn’t necessarily match what is happening on stage and so on, leaving them very open to interpretation.  Whether this is good or bad, I’m unsure.  But it is certainly an interesting concept and something that I may have to look further into.

 

Sources uses:

Postmodern Performance and Technology, Johannes Birringer (Performing Arts Journal, 1985)

Robert Wilson: Is Postmodern Performance Possible?, Katherine Arens (Theatre Journal, 1991)

Oxford English Dictionary, 2014 (http://www.oed.com.proxy.library.lincoln.ac.uk/)