Infusing Digital Media Into Theatre in Contemporary Indian Performances

Abstract

Digital media has seeped into the cultural fabric of society and the arts. Speculating the same, this study analyses digital technology in theatre, looking into its treatment and effect on theatrical performances and audiences. Digital media represents the theatrical culture and blurs boundaries, rendering theatre more interactive. This chapter takes into consideration two aspects of digital media in Indian performance practice—Digital Theatre—analysed here through the plays of Amitesh Grover and Abhilash Pillai. Second, the emerging form of cineplay. For this, a cineplay production is analysed to understand how the “cinematic” associated with the camera is brought into the “theatrical” space. Digital media in performance not only adds spectacle to theatre but also makes the semantics of the form more complex. Moreover, digital technology sometimes attempts to combine and replace the physical presence of the actors; ultimately establishing, validating, and simultaneously critiquing the relationship between the two.