In the Lurch: Verbatim Theater and the Crisis of Democratic Deliberation

Verbatim theater has been a powerful tool for holding hard conversations about explosive subjects in a liberal democracy, but in the current "rightward lurch" of western democracies, its effectiveness is being questioned. In the Lurch explores the history of this branch of documentary theater, tracing its political outcomes and stances and reflecting on the author's own participation in the political fantasy. It also recounts the bumpy path towards its completion, marked by presidential impeachments, an insurrection, a national reckoning with racism, and a global pandemic.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2023
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Verbatim theater, a powerful form of socially engaged performance, has emerged in the past thirty years to address explosive subjects in a liberal democracy. Examples such as Fires in the Mirror, The Laramie Project, and The Vagina Monologues have demonstrated the ability to hold hard conversations about sensitive topics. However, in the current political climate, characterized by a "rightward lurch" of western democracies, the effectiveness of this idealized space of democratic deliberation is being questioned. In the Lurch, a book by Ryan Claycomb, explores the history of verbatim theater and its political outcomes. Claycomb reflects on his own participation in the political fantasy of verbatim theater and his belief that witnessing this idealized public sphere was a substitute for actual public participation. The book also recounts the bumpy path towards its completion, marked by presidential impeachments, an insurrection, a national reckoning with racism, and a global pandemic. At the heart of the book is a central question: is verbatim theater still an effective cultural response to the possible end of democracy?

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472055746