Best in Show: Reality Theatre, Performative Authenticity, and the 2015 Federal Election

Treating the 2015 Canadian federal election as a reality-based performance text, Marcus Youssef draws connections between the aesthetics of contemporary performance and the dominant political ritual in Western democracies—the national election. Analyzing their authenticity and adaptability, Youssef considers how the Canadian federal party leaders played constructed versions of themselves in a game-based, competitive performance.