This document is the introductory module for the Spring 2026 "Studies in the Arts" lecture (Lehman College, course code 353 OA11). It presents the syllabus’s thematic scaffolding through a slide deck and a curated set of short videos, then records a rich thread of student impressions and instructor responses. The slide deck introduces a broad definition of contemporary performance that stretches beyond traditional theater to include digital art, multimedia installations, live‑recorded music videos, and politically engaged interventions. Specific exemplars highlighted are Laurie Anderson’s early electronic music video “O Superman,” a behind‑the‑scenes look at 3LD’s multimedia theater production “Spy Garbo,” live‑recorded performances by Janelle Monáe and Sly & the Family Stone, and Dread Scott’s activist work with the Art Root Project. Throughout the discussion, students articulate how these examples reshape their notions of “media,” “performance,” and “live,” noting the interplay of technology, politics, and everyday life. Professor Brian McCormick interjects with contextual insights—explaining Anderson’s critique of technology, emphasizing the fluid definition of “live,” and encouraging a view that all daily digital interactions can be read as performance. The collective reflections reveal emerging curiosity about the creative process, technical coordination, the political potency of art, and the evolving expectations of audiences. The document therefore serves both as a syllabus overview and as a snapshot of the class’s initial intellectual positioning, setting the stage for deeper inquiry into digital/multimedia theater, the politics of performance, and the ontological question of what counts as “live” in a technologically saturated culture.
Topics
Course Framing: Expanding ‘Theater’ to Digital, Multimedia, and Everyday Performance
The syllabus positions theater as a broad cultural practice that includes digital art, multimedia installations, live‑recorded music videos, and political interventions.
Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman” – Early Digital Music Video as Technological Critique
Analysis of Anderson’s 1982 video, its experimental aesthetics, and its commentary on technology, authority, and the ‘Mother’ metaphor.
Behind‑the‑Scenes 3LD Production: “Spy Garbo” and the Mechanics of Multimedia Theater
A look at the complex coordination of sound, visuals, and technical staff required to stage a contemporary multimedia performance.
Live‑Recording Case Studies: Janelle Monáe vs. Sly & the Family Stone
Comparison of two contrasting live‑recorded performances to interrogate what ‘live’ means in different aesthetic and technological contexts.
Art as Political Intervention: Dread Scott’s Art Root Project
Discussion of Scott’s short work that uses movement and public space to confront systemic racism and provoke civic dialogue.
Student Reflections: Emerging Perspectives on Media, Technology, and Performance
A compilation of student impressions that reveal shifting understandings of performance, the role of technology, and the political dimensions of art.
Instructor Mediation: Framing ‘Live’, Technology, and the Everyday as Performance
Professor McCormick’s responses that contextualize the examples, stress the fluidity of ‘live’, and encourage students to view daily digital interactions as performative.