Classical Reception for All? Performance Reception Pedagogy in the Twenty-First Century

Classical Reception for All? Performance Reception Pedagogy in the Twenty-First Century Anastasia Bakogianni Teaching classical reception entails the investigation of the long and rich afterlife of ancient Greece and Rome. It is the very diversity of the reception history of these ancient civilizations that ensures that those of us who teach in this field can call on a large pool of case studies and an ever-expanding theoretical base. This wealth can be both a blessing and a curse. Choosing which reception case studies to discuss and, even more importantly, how to approach them is key in allowing students to appreciate both the breadth and the impact of reception. A careful selection also ensures the kind of in-depth coverage that helps students develop their analytical and critical thinking skills. The popularity of classical reception with students has led to the proliferation of reception courses in the US and the UK and to the addition of reception elements to the standard classics curriculum.1 My use of the label “classical reception” [End Page 615] is a deliberate choice and not simply dictated by the current popularity of the term in our field. The study of the “classical tradition” might pre-date that of “classical reception,”2 but there are important differences between these two theoretical and methodological tools. The very term, “tradition,” is burdened with unwelcome connotations of conservatism and elitism, and it is constrained by a rigid set of cultural hierarchies of influence.3 “Reception,” on the other hand, offers us a more inclusive and interactive model that emphasizes the depth and complexity of the relationship that has formed between the classics and their readers and spectators from antiquity until the present day.4 In the second decade of the new millennium, we already find ourselves at the “second generation” stage of teaching reception and/or using reception to teach traditional classical subjects.5 It is therefore an opportune moment to pause and evaluate where we stand and to share best practices with an eye towards the future. Only by rigorously interrogating our teaching practice both as classicists,6 but in particular as teachers of classical reception, can we ensure the continuing health and prosperity of our field.7 After all, classical reception is at its most productive when it urges us to interrogate our own relationship with the classical past, which is a valuable lesson to impart to all our students. [End Page 616] Also, as the boundaries of classical reception expand, so do the pedagogical possibilities, leaving much to consider when it comes to classical reception pedagogy. Charles Martindale, a pioneer in reception studies, has expressed reservations about the content of reception courses and their use to demonstrate the continuing relevance of the classics. In a special issue of the Classical Reception Journal (2013: 5.2), he explains his position as follows: . . . I have the impression that reception options are added somewhat randomly to degrees in Classics, according to the tastes and research interests of particular scholars, rather than out of any clear pedagogic principle . . . One suspects that film is often chosen, not without considerable condescension, out of a somewhat desperate desire for ‘relevance’ or modernity—proof that Classics is somehow still ‘alive’.8 Admittedly, some first-generation reception courses have been guilty of resorting to oversimplified theoretical and methodological approaches, an overreliance on material to the detriment of analysis, and a lack of clear pedagogical outcomes. Nonetheless, Martindale’s analysis is in my view overly pessimistic, especially when it comes to second-generation reception courses. In this next evolutionary stage of teaching reception (or utilizing it to teach classical topics), we have had ample opportunity to field-test our courses and modify them, to have them more accurately reflect our students’ educational needs. Given the breadth, range, and richness of classical reception, a period of trial and error has, understandably, been necessary before instructors could develop courses that offered more sophisticated approaches to teaching classical reception. Of course, there are still issues to be resolved and new challenges to be met, especially with regard to the training needs of those teaching reception. However, the fundamental issue raised by Martindale is the question of relevance. Assuring

Aesthetics · Art · Classical tradition · Curriculum · Curse · Diversity (politics) · Epistemology · Field (mathematics) · Literature · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Popularity · Reception theory · Sociology · Classical Studies and Philology · Classics · Historical and Literary Analyses · History · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy · Psychology · Theatre and Performance Studies

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