Dada Performance

Rating:
Summary: Not great on history, but good texts
Review: What to make of the dada movement, a dream hatched in an exuberant and anarchic spirit of fun and outrage in Zurich and slowly, strangely became a literary and aesthetic movement that took itself very seriously indeed.

This collection, an early publication by PAJ (Performing Arts Journal) Books, is a suitable introduction to dadaism although in the years since its publication, fuller histories and more comprehensive collections of texts have become available.

One difference is this edition's emphasis on theatre, including the spirit of the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, with Hugo Ball's performances and the exuberant, anarchic, and often surprising poetry. There are several complete translations of several plays by Vitrac, Tzara, Breton, and others. There are also photographs and posters throughout.

This is a good find used if you are looking for a light introduction and some representative plays and poetry. For more intermediate study, you can stretch your dollars further.