Spiders of the Market

David Afriyie Donkor is Assistant Professor of Performance Studies and Africana Studies at Texas A&M University. He is an actor and a director who has adapted several folktales, personal narratives, and literary works for the stage. His scholarly work is published in Ghana Studies, Cultural Studies, Theatre Survey, and TDR.

"By sharing the performance experiences, rather than texts, Donkor accomplishes the challenging task of introducing rare theatre performances in a particularly compelling context for a Western readership in a global age."—Theatre Survey"Overall, as a Ghanaian actor and director as well as a scholar, Donkor's cultural insider analyses of ananse theatre within the space of political economy make important contributions and interventions to the discourses on performance (theory) and neoliberalism and their interaction in Ghana and Africa."—African Studies Review"A precise and inviting appeal to political economy, performance, and the enduring relevance of the cultural and archetypal trickster."—D. Soyini Madison, Northwestern University"David Afriyie Donkor's experience as a theatre artist and director supports the rich political economic component that frames this analysis of performance and performance traditions for broad audiences."—Jesse Weaver Shipley, Haverford College

• Introduction1. From State to Market: The History of a Social Compact2. Once Upon a Spider: Ananse and the Counterhegemonic Trickster Ethos3. Selling the President: Stand-Up Comedy and the Politricks of Endorsement4. Ma Red's Maneuvers: Popular Theater and "Progressive" Culture5. In the House of Stories: Village Aspirations and Heritage TourismConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex