The term `performance` encompasses a wide range of cultural events, such as theatrical performances and performing arts, the performance of oral texts, various kinds of political, religious and social rituals, and, eventually, any speech event. The inclusion of so many different events under a single concept of `performance` is the result of a changing methodological approach in the social sciences. Emphasis has shifted from studying social institutions and texts, to considering the actors and their creative personality. The present volume aims at examining the meaning and transformative power of performances. The essays attempt an approximation to the meaning and power of performance by considering them from various perspectives.