Exploring the Difference Between Real and Imagined Bodies on Stage

Moderated by Polly Carl, Director of HowlRound and Creative Director of ArtsEmerson.

We are living in a moment when bodies are at odds with identities—where Rachel Dolezal and Caitlyn Jenner create endless internet wars over what constitutes one’s real self. What can artists tell us about our cultural struggle to come to terms with the relationship between our embodied selves and our lived identities? We will talk to artists who put their bodies on the line—whether through inhabiting multiple characters, through exposing their innermost vulnerabilities, or through crossing gender lines—to consider how performance expands our sense of selfhood.