This course will explore semiotics and performance theory by comparing the modes of performance used in media (including television, film, radio, advertising, theater, music and visual art) with social performance in general. Readings will draw from classic and contemporary work in semiotics, performance theory and linguistic anthropology, analyzing media and art forms from around the world. Students will engage with the theoretical concepts and analytical models encountered in class by applying them to a media form, performance or piece of art of their own choosing.