PRISMATIC PEFORMANCES, queer South Africa and the fragmentation of the rainbow nation

184pp., illus., paperback, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 2021

ISBN: 978047203879

April Sizemore-Barber on the ways in which queer performance reveals the gaps between post-apartheid South Africa's self-image and its lived realities.

“The depth of the ethnographic research, the sensitive, nuanced reading of multiple performance texts, and the interdisciplinary acumen make this an excellent contribution to the field of theatre and performance studies as well as the burgeoning field of queer African studies. Individual chapters, which move among and between the genres of performance art, self-performance, photography, dance, and television, culminate in a remarkable ‘prism’ of what it means to be a queer South African in the post-apartheid moment.” Laura Edmondson, Dartmouth College

"Theoretically sophisticated, this is exciting, top-notch scholarly work that gives a lively account of the 'rainbow era' through the lens of queer performance. The wide-ranging material assembled into an archive for this book is fascinating. It's a pleasure to read and deserves an audience in academia and beyond." Brenna Munro, University of Miami

April Sizemore-Barber is Assistant Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Georgetown University.