This work investigates the ontological status of performance art and its relationship to the vanishing nature of the live event within the context of twentieth-century cultural production. Peggy Phelan, a prominent scholar in performance studies, utilizes a framework rooted in psychoanalysis and feminist theory to argue that performance's power lies in its refusal to be reproduced or commodified. By examining the tension between the live act and its documentation, the author challenges traditional notions of presence and representation in art history.

Scholars and students of performance studies frequently cite this text as a foundational contribution to the field's theoretical development. Readers often note the high level of academic density and the sophisticated philosophical language employed throughout the chapters.