Abstract
ABSTRACT In this practice-based project, workshops were conducted in and out of virtual reality, exploring the transitional processes of the Nāṭyaśāstra, an ancient Sanskrit dramaturgical treatise. This project is an intercultural and technological investigation of ancient tools of liminality and how they can be applied in a virtual theatre. A virtual cave theatre was built to the design of the Nāṭyaśāstra and inhabited with seventh-century farce, Bhagavadajjukam, created in Unity game engine for VRchat, a social VR application. The project posits three positions of focus: (1) Investigating parallels of the Nāṭyaveda and the metaverse, comparing the Nāṭyaveda an ancient spiritual performance space, described in the Nāṭyaśāstra with the modern metaverse, showing them to be spaces of liminal transition in which community can explore conflict and resolution. (2) Exploring the Nāṭyaśāstra's rasa theory, codified emotional performance to engender the liminal self, creating moments akin to virtual anchors. (3) Exploring the metatheatre of the Nāṭyaśāstra applied in the virtual and its parallels to the modern concept of liminal performance. Participants explored these concepts first physically in a performance studio and then in a virtual space. These workshops were recorded, and their experiences discussed and thematically analyzed after.
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