ABSTRACT
The field of Theatre has been historically linked to the study of speech and communication through both classical education traditions, such as Aristotle's contemplation of both poetry and rhetoric, and in the disciplinary formation of “speech studies” (Gehrke & Keith, 2015; Philipsen, 2015). Given the history, the study of public speaking may benefit from examining the influence of theatre and performance methods on contemporary speech studies. This chapter explicates historical connections between theatre and communication approaches to crafting public speaking events in addition to examining the current practice of “performance of literature” in communication studies programs as a mode of public speaking training that extends from theatrical practice. The chapter offers a humanities-based history of public performance that is missing from the bulk of contemporary speech studies. This perspective is designed to work alongside other histories of speech from the social scientific paradigm that dominates present public speaking textbooks and research literature. Placing these traditions side-by-side may afford the opportunity for synthesis and/or raise awareness regarding the available theoretical tools at the disposal of public speaking teachers.
