Performance in communication: aspects of cognitive-discursive modeling

The paper provides an overview of the development of the performance theory in different fields over several decades and sets out a view of performance in communication in the framework of the cognitive-discursive paradigm in linguistics. The discussion of the performance theory centers on several key features as they function as part of performance organization including self-presentation in a social role, the live presence of the performers and observers, the performance contract between them, play, rehearsal, theatricality, and virtuosic display. In the article performance contract is redefined in linguistic terms as cognitive scenario worked out by communication technologists and realized through a number of multimodal modes of semiotic representation. Performance is viewed as a communicative event and discourse manifestation of personalities of its participants. As a communicative event, performance involves the same setting, the same participants, generally using the same language maintaining the same social roles and rules for interaction stipulated by the cognitive scenario. As a discourse manifestation of personalities, performance comprises the same general topic, the same basic type of discourse (personality bound or status bound), and the same regime (co-present or mediated performance). The analysis of performances of a media personality, a representative of the ‘false elite’ is proposed. The focus is placed upon the conceptual content of these performances which is technologically devised as a factor of attractiveness ensuring the observer involvement and the continuity of performances reproducing the same basic conceptual content in varied semiotic representations.