Digital Theater. Conceptualization the phenomenon

Abstract

An overview of the main trends in understanding the digital forms of theatre existence is made on the basis of scientific publications of recent years in Europe and the United States. It demonstrates the breadth of the subject field and author’s approaches, and the diversity of theoretical concepts and methods of studying digital hypostases of theatrical life. There are no immutable truths or taboos in the social sciences today, and interpretations of empirical facts are often polemical, depending on the author’s beliefs and attitude to social justice and inequality — social, racial, gender — or other problems of society. Nevertheless, despite disagreements, most researchers agree that it is extremely important today to reflect on the challenges posed in recent years by the rapid development of digital forms of theatrical offerings. Here everything acquires a new sounding: from existential questions of the adequacy of the existence of performing art in the digital environment, the impact of this environment on the market prospects of theatre and its relationship with the audience, to practical steps to comprehend and disseminate the experience of mastering the digital space. Most scientists consider the opposition of live and digital forms of theatre to be unproductive. Analysis of the evidence shows that digitalization is neither the death nor the salvation of theatre: rather, it represents an opportunity to use rapidly evolving technology and audience expectations to expand the reach of theatre. Following the public, the academic community accepts this type of theatre as an element of the cultural life of society and the ever-evolving relationship between theatre and the audience.

Keywords

• digital theatre
• audience
• online viewers
• digital art consumption
• online consumption
• event cinema
• home forms of art consumption