The Expansion of Theatrical Space and the Role of the Spectator

Authors

  • Elena Pérez Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v26i2.24307

Keywords:

digital performance, multimedia, participation, pervasive performance, space expansion, spectator, telematics.

Abstract

One of the theatre and performance conventions that has been challenged by the application of technology is that of space. Theatrical space has been “expanded” through the application of technology and its artefacts. However, it is not really
clear what is meant by “expansion”, as it means different things according to different authors and these divergent meanings often lead to misunderstandings. In this article, I will demonstrate the need for a more nuanced understanding of what the expansion of theatrical space means and its impact on the concept of spectatorship. The analysis will be based on three distinct forms of digital performance where spatial expansion has been an issue; these are three categories that also mark the heterogeneity and dynamism of the convergence of performance and technology: multimedia performance, telematic performance and pervasive performance. Through an analysis of specific cases across the categories, I aim to show how the expansion of space implies a more participatory stance in the role of the spectator.

Author Biography

Elena Pérez, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Elena Pérez is a researcher currently taking her PhD in the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where she is looking at how digital media impacts contemporary performance. More specifically, how digital media challenge theatrical conventions in multimedia, telematic and pervasive performance.

References

Christopher Balme, The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2008.

Christopher Balme, The Theatrical Public Sphere, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2014.

Steve Benford and Gabriella Giannachi, Performing Mixed Reality, MIT Press, Cambridge 2011.

Marvin Carlson, Places of Performance: The Semiotics of Theatre Architecture, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY 1989.

Steve Dixon, Digital Performance: A History of New Media in Theater, Dance, Performance Art, and Installation, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA 2007.

Greg Giesekam, Staging the Screen: The Use of Film and Video in Theatre, Palgrave MacMillan, New York 2007.

Grant H. Kester, Conversation Pieces: Community and Communication in Modern Art, University of California Press, Berkeley 2004.

Hans-Thies Lehmann, Postdramatic Theatre, Routledge, London 2006.

Lawrence Lessig, Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy, Penguin Press, New York 2008.

Jane E. McGonigal, “This Might Be a Game: Ubiquitous Play and Performance at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century”, PhD thesis, University of California, 2006.

Richard Rouse, Game Design: Theory and Practice, Wordware Publishing, Sudbury, MA 2005.

Sherry Turkle, Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other, Basic Books, New York 2011.

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Published

2014-09-09

How to Cite

Pérez, E. (2014). The Expansion of Theatrical Space and the Role of the Spectator. Nordic Theatre Studies, 26(2), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v26i2.24307

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2014): Theatre and Technology

Section

Articles thematic section

License

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