Performing the Edible: Sustenance, Sensation, and Sustainability

At the intersection of performance studies and food studies, this pioneering collection explores food as more than just a subject of study--it’s a medium of artistic expression, communication, and embodied knowledge. Drawing from a decade of collaborative work through the American Society for Theatre Research working group (2014-2023), this volume brings together diverse voices examining how food shapes and reflects our understanding of identity, culture, and sustainability in an increasingly complex world.

The collection stands out for its innovative approach to ＂thinking with food,＂ moving beyond traditional academic analysis to engage with food as an active participant in performance and meaning-making. Contributors explore how food practices inform our relationships with place, community, and environment, while addressing urgent questions about global foodways and survival. Through a combination of scholarly research and artistic exploration, these essays reveal how food serves as both a lens for understanding contemporary challenges and a tool for imagining new possibilities in performance, sustainability, and cultural exchange.

This interdisciplinary work offers vital insights for scholars, artists, and practitioners interested in the intersection of performance, food studies, cultural theory, and environmental sustainability, providing fresh perspectives on how food-based knowledge and practice can inform our response to global challenges.

Kristin Hunt is associate professor and Assistant Director of Theatre in Arizona State University’s School of Music, Dance and Theatre. She is the author of Alimentary Performances: Mimesis, Theatricality, and Cuisine (Routledge, 2018) and Gut Knowledges: Culinary Performance and Activism in the Post-Truth Era (Routledge 2023).