The three editors of this volume grew up creating performance. While we each took our own path through the discipline of communication studies, performance as a practice and as a theoretical concept has remained the foundation of our research and pedagogy. At different times throughout our careers, colleagues have asked us why we make our public address students do physical and vocal warm-ups or why we have rhetorical theory students not simply create but also stage Platonic dialogues. We are always a bit taken aback when asked questions like these. Imagine a canvas without paint, or a table without legs, or a tree without foliage. For us—and for many of the contributors to this volume—that is communication without performance. It’s not just a question of aesthetics, but one of function.