This volume is focused on the central issue of contemporary theater and performance studies--that is, the issue of the actor/performer and the question of his or her public negotiation of normative orders. The international authors of this volume discuss the entanglement of actors/performers in a variety of normalizing practices, offering philosophical investigations, performance analyses, historical examples, and personal experiences. The collection will be of interest to anyone concerned with the political potential and ontological dimension of being on stage within and beyond politics in terms of party programs and the state administration of polity. Included are contributions by Elaine Aston, Sruti Bala, Wolf-Dieter Ernst, Rikard Hoogland, Birgitta Johansson, Joe Kienast, Michal Kobialka, Heide Lazarus, Ruta Mazeikiene, Juliano Mer Khamis, Kati Rottger, Tiina Rosenberg, and Willmar Sauter.