The starting point for this course is the assumption that performance is a concrete social event, which therefore participates in a multi-faceted manner in the power-structures of its surrounding culture. At the same time, performance is always grounded in the body – which is in itself a political site upon which struggles and fantasies are impressed. In light of these social and corporeal dimensions, the course will offer an introduction to some of the prominent theories in cultural criticism from the 1960's till the early 2000's and explore their relation to theatrical performance. Finally, we will ask about the place of critical theories today, their heritage, the horizons currently forming for thinking about theatre and culture.