Drama/Theatre/Performance explores the concept of these related terms and considers the complex relationship that exists between all three. Rather than attempting to provide definitions, Simon Shepherd and Mick Wallis present a cultural genealogy of key terms and concepts, offering signposts that guide the reader through the problematics of these terms and make clear distinctions between 'the dramatic', 'theatricality' and 'performativity'. Through historical investigation which encompasses the literary tradition of drama; women, theatre and the ethics of the academy; the rise of Performance Studies as an academic discipline and the basics of performance theory, they explore notions of: Catharsis Character, mask and persona Defamiliarisation and alienation Embodiment Interculturalism Kinaesthesis Presence and representation Semiotics and phenomenology. Clearly structured and refreshingly comprehensible, this useful guidebook is an essential read for any student of literature, drama, theatre and performance studies.