Theatrical Performance Research Articles

Impactul inteligenței artificiale în educația muzicală și artele spectacolului

The rapid progress of new technologies has facilitated the implementation of human intelligence in a computerized framework with the aim of imitating human behaviour. One of the essential characteristics of artificial intelligence is continuous learning, based on external stimuli and information collected from the environment. Artificial intelligence analyzes the surrounding reality and acts accordingly, without the need for human help or assistance. In this sense, new intelligent technologies have a strong impact in various fields and related sciences: education, medicine, computer science, mathematics, cognitive psychology, theatre and performing arts, law, entrepreneurship. Artificial intelligence, at the intersection of education, music and the performing arts, involves elements of creativity and innovation. In recent decades, many artists have introduced computer technology into performances and thus created an interactive environment, where spectators are able to explore narrative experiences, correlated with algorithms and mathematical structures. The frequent use of artificial intelligence applications in musical education classes and theatre performances is swiftly becoming a necessity for the expression of new ideas and artistic connections.

THE IDENTITY OF STAGE DESIGN AS A COMPONENT OF UKRAINIAN CULTURE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The vocabulary of Ukrainian scenic art is extremely rich in artistic devices and metaphors. The formation of Ukrainian identity on the world art scene explains the growing interest of the scientific community in the phenomenon of Ukrainian culture, thus contributing to the relevance of the study of Ukrainian scenography as one of the aspects of Ukrainian culture of the 21st century. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the identity of Ukrainian stage design in the context of cultural and social changes of the 21st century and in particular, in 2022. The following methods were used in the study: analytical, typological, terminological analysis and survey. As a result of the study, a list of the main ethnic elements used in theatrical performances to create a metaphorical image of the identity of Ukrainian culture in scenic art was defined. The study examined the issue of identity in scenography and Ukrainian culture in general, including the public’s attitude toward the use of ethnic elements aimed at achieving a metaphorical image of identity for the cultural past of the Ukrainian people in stage design. Accordingly, the study conducted a survey of visitors to theatrical events in Kyiv at the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theatre regarding the placement of ethnic elements as the main component of scenic identity in the production of plays on the stage of the contemporary Ukrainian drama theatre. Summarising the results of the survey, it is possible to trace the Ukrainian audience’s preference for the use of traditional attributes in scenography during performances and art events dedicated to the appropriate coverage of Ukrainian culture. This research is of practical importance for stage designers and researchers of the identity of the Ukrainian stage space.

Spike Jonze Meets Shakespeare – Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism

The hereby study aims to answer several questions regarding the impact Artificial Intelligence has had on our lives and on our art, especially on the performing arts, and particularly on theatre and cinema. In order to gauge and assess the importance of AI, both as a means of creating works of art and as a theme they trackle, I draw a parallel between Spike Jonze’s film, “Her” (2013), and Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2016 production of “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, directed by Gregory Doran. While this particular production of Shakespeare’s play is a high-quality illustration of how Artificial Intelligence can enhance a theatre performance, in Spike Jonze’s film one can find AI as a theme, character and social issue. Besides being a state-of-the-art work, “Her” raises a question rarely addressed without bias, bigotry or militantism: a human’s warmth or a machine’s intelligence? Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of “The Tempest” answers: ’Both’. Director Gregory Doran worked with Imaginarium and Intel to create scenes where actors and holograms interact in a three-dimensional immersive experience, a feat which could not have been achieved without Artificial Intelligence. The hereby essay also tries to answer other questions, such as: Does the use of AI technology improve the spectator’s aesthetic experience, or is it rather an encumbering factor? And if so, why? Are we heading towards the posthuman age? And last, but not least, what implications does the increasing use of AI in the performing arts have from an anthropological and sociological point of view?

Creative Journeys Involving Adults With Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities: Co‐Development in Multi‐Sensory Theatre

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe last decade has seen developments in collaborative multi‐sensory theatre and dramatic performance involving individuals with profound and multiple learning disabilities. The current study investigated co‐development processes used by a multi‐sensory theatre company that employed four artists with profound and multiple learning disabilities.MethodsA qualitative approach was adopted, involving preliminary observations and in‐depth interviews with 10 individuals who performed different roles in the company. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.FindingsThree themes emerged, centring around concepts of interactional ‘space’: the space between (how meanings were co‐constructed); the space around (how the dramatic narrative was coproduced); the space beyond (how collaboration occurred in the live multi‐sensory show). A fourth theme, the journey, connected all the spaces in a process of learning and changing, enjoyment, having a voice and developing the narrative.ConclusionsThrough participating in co‐creative processes of artistic development, people with profound and multiple learning disabilities can share their expertise and contribute to the sensory theatrical shows as artists in their own right.

A backstage look at a near-fiasco of ethnographic access to musical theatre organisations

PurposeThis study explores the trajectory and challenges faced by a doctoral researcher in her successive attempts to gain access for conducting an ethnography within the production or organisation of a musical theatre performance. Contemplating the four unsuccessful access attempts and the final, triumphant one, we ponder the reasons and impediments for conducting research within this particular context. We operate under the premise that research access possesses a relational characteristic, contingent upon the relationships established between the researcher, the researched, potential informants and the dynamics of the field as a whole.Design/methodology/approachThis is an exploratory and qualitative study, and the empirical research is based on an ethnographic-inspired case study of the organisation/production of a musical theatre play in São Paulo, SP, Brazil, which we have given the pseudonym MusiCom.FindingsThe study contributes by allowing us to affirm that access is intertwined with at least two aspects: the peculiarities of the organisation itself and the characteristics or context in which it exists or is constructed, and the identity of the researcher, developed during the formal access negotiations through the relationships formed between her and the subjects during the dynamics of the field.Originality/valueOur contribution reinforces the numerous challenges posed to researchers when conducting ethnographies and illustrates how access relies not solely on the skills, aptitudes and learning of the researchers.

Madrasa, 2023

ABSTRACT This repertory-dramatic study examines the portrayal of Arab characters in Hebrew drama on both stage and TV. It delves into the exploration of ‘mixed’ love stories, initially within the realm of theatre and later extending into Israeli television drama since the 1990s. The scope of this study encompasses a range of plays, theatrical performances, and television dramas spanning the years 1912–2023. It places particular emphasis on ‘key’ dramas that have played a pivotal role in shaping the content and dramatic representations of conflicts, often sparking public debates, such as Allah Karim (1912), Na’im (1978), Two Minutes from Fureidis (2002), and Madrasa (2023). Madrasa appears to be potentially groundbreaking comedy series that addresses important social and cultural issues in an engaging and entertaining manner.

Memory, Real and Subjectivity in the Contemporary Latin American Scene

In this text we present stage productions/staged performances with which the authors relate as spectators or as researchers and artist-creators. This analysis of works is based on the discussion of devices of theatricality and performance in contemporary theatre, and their relationships with reality and individual and collective memory. This paper aims to follow, through theatre productions, the ways in which the collective memory is activated in the Latin American space, to detect the common points between socio-political events and the possibilities of reproduction on the contemporary stage, and to discuss the relationship that is established between social reality and stage reality. For that, we analyzed the two works Sin título. Técnica mixta/Perú and Memorial de Silêncios e Margaridas/Brazil. Both are seen as acts of memory in dialogue with reality.

Live-Capture Filmed Theatre Productions: A New Hybrid Art Form Between Film and Theatre

This paper explores the unique positioning of live-capture filmed theatre, specifically referring to National Theatre Live examples, through the lenses of film theory and genre studies. Live-capture filmed theatre has gained substantial traction, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the transition of theatre into online platforms. This study examines how this hybrid form is conceptualized within contemporary film theory and genre frameworks. Drawing on D.N. Rodowick’s insights into the fluid and evolving nature of cinema and Siegfried Kracauer’s critique of early filmed theatre’s “canning,” the paper evaluates how live-capture filmed theatre both sticks to and differs from traditional cinematic norms. Additionally, Rick Altman’s semantic/syntactic/pragmatic genre theory provides a framework for assessing the hybrid characteristics of live-capture filmed theatre. The analysis reveals that while live-capture theatre fits neither conventional film genres nor fully reflects theatrical experiences, it operates within a distinct hybrid space that blends elements of both media. Ultimately, live-capture filmed theatre is positioned as a new hybrid art form that challenges conventional definitions of film and theatre. It contributes to the evolving discourse on audiovisual media by offering new industrial opportunities and enhancing global accessibility to theatrical performances. This study highlights the need for continuous exploration of hybrid art forms and their impact on the future of film and theatre studies.

Go-Itata Ritualised Theatre Performance Modes of koma Aesthetics in a Performance as Research Production: Wela

The body speaks. Embodiment has always been the essence of communication in African theatre and ritual. Rituals are the wellspring of interpreting universal features of human behaviour and underpinning the theatrical. Yet theatre makers grapple with showcasing explicit ritual as performance. Ritual remains exquisitely different from theatre, and if moved from its original place and intent, it loses its integrity and purpose. Postdramatic performers have (re)embraced that their bodies can be used as a tool that can “speak” and offer new ways of interpreting ritual aesthetics. Through a methodology of ukuzilanda this article describes the performance as research approach with the emphasis on Postdramatic practices where embodying is celebrated as the main modality conveying messages in performance. This paper discusses the process undertaken to present ritual elements from the South African BaPedi male initiation in an aesthetic performance titled Wela (2021). Wela is a Pedi term which means “to cross-over” – this offers relevance both to the koma ritual it is representing as well as to the presentation of aesthetics of ritual through Postdramatic interpretations. Further, an approach coined as Go-itata embraces the (re)conceptual discussion of ritualised theatre that embraces the elements of embodied commentary, intent, and expressive narrative in the conceptual and staging processes. This paper offers Go-itata ritualised theatre performance modes to explore the (re)conceptual presentation of ritual aesthetics for the stage.

Lessons for a Broadway Wannabe

Abstract: This essay is a letter to my younger self, a reflection of where I was when I started the journey into being a professional musical theatre performer, and of those lessons I can now identify from my past experiences. It offers a glimpse into some of the ups and downs of my performing life as well as some advice for any students considering this path.

Book Review Sair, A. (2024). Dramaturgi Politik Elektoral: Memahami Perilaku, Wacana, dan Motif Politik di Aras Lokal. Intrans Publishing. 148 pp.

This book offers a thorough investigation of political dramaturgy within the context of the 2010 Regional Head Elections in Surabaya. It spans six chapters, exploring the historical and theoretical foundations of political dramaturgy and providing a detailed case study of its application in Surabaya's electoral politics. Drawing on Erving Goffman's concepts of dramaturgy, the book illustrates how political interactions resemble theatrical performances, encompassing both "frontstage" and "backstage" elements. The backstage arena includes all the necessary preparations for the actors' performances on the front stage, ranging from research to logistical and technical requirements. In contrast, the front stage focuses on the actors' skills in impression management, which involve face-to-face interactions and the use of technology to effectively communicate political messages and influence public opinion. Overall, this book highlights the importance of dramaturgical elements in shaping electoral strategies and provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of cultural, social, and political factors that affect the dynamics of electoral politics at the local level.Keywords: political dramaturgy; regional elections; electoral politics

Devising Anthropocene: A Conversation About a Multiyear Climate Crisis Project

ABSTRACT A conversation between Anthropocene Project Director Rachel Bowditch and Project Dramaturg Karen Jean Martinson about the multiyear devising process for Anthropocene, a high-impact, devised, physical theatre performance that examines how human progress has led to a new and dangerous geological age, which played at Arizona State University November 3–12, 2023.

Chhukri Dance of Bangladesh:

Despite all distinctions, performances by males in female roles, widely known as Chhukri, are a common phenomenon in folk theatrical performances in Bangladesh. Male performers in this unique setting appear on stage as transvestite females with dexterity and believability in their costumes, make-up, gestures, and behavior. In this theatrical presentation, the male performer’s external change is clear and visible. What is the internal process of transformation? To what extent is social, traditional, or mythical performance knowledge practiced in the process of internal transformation? This ethnographic study aims to examine the process of transforming a male into a female role in traditional Chhukri Dance in Bangladesh. The traditional or mythological references of Shakti (energy) and Bhaba (emotion) have been selected as the key tools in analyzing the process of transformation. It also analyses how feminine gender is defined traditionally and performed socially within the practitioner communities, and how they are embodied aesthetically in the performer’s dance body. To examine hereditary performance knowledge and practices linked to Chhukri Dance in particular, this study describes two theatrical groups that give traditional performances. It explores thechhukri community and the training process, performance techniques and structure, and the codes and characteristics of the two Chhukri theatrical groups.

Hapstick-Figure: Investigating the Design of a Haptic Representation of Human Gestures from Theater Performances for Blind and Visually-Impaired People

Theaters serve as platforms that transport audiences into diverse worlds, offering a collective enjoyment of live performances and a shared cultural experience. However, theater performances have strong visual components, such as physical props and actors’ movements and gestures, which are inaccessible to visually impaired and blind audience members and thus can exclude them from such shared social experiences. We conducted formative interviews with eight blind and visually impaired people about their experiences with barriers to theater performance gestures. We then present Hapstick-Figure, a prototype design to represent and communicate human gestures via a 3D-printed tactile surface. Next, we used Hapstick-Figure as a technology probe in a qualitative evaluation with six of our BVI participants to explore non-visual interpretation and engagement with this prototype. We outline insights into the haptic representation of theater performance gestures and reflections on designing for accessibility in this context.

Extending the multiculturalism metaphors: state identity in Nasarawa State’s Su-dir dance theatre as fruit salad juice

The robust multiculturalism debate and its attendant metaphors have paid little attention to the peculiar realities of managing the inherent cultural diversity in Africa. This paper opens up the existing debate on multiculturalism, and offers an option of the Fruit Salad Juice as the identity produced through the active cultural interactions within a typical African multi-ethnic state. The Fruit Salad Juice alternative specifically applies to the theatrical performances that emanate from these multicultural collaborations. The paper examines Su-dir dance theatre being one of the products of the Let’s Sheathe Our Swords (LSOS) project launched by the Nasarawa State government of Nigeria to facilitate social therapy and cultural integration after a protracted period of inter-ethnic, religious and political crises in the state. Data for this study was collated through the participant observation and interview methods. At various points, I conducted interviews with the administrators, consultants, and artistes of the Nasarawa State Performing Troupe, as well as some members of the Su-Dir audience. Nasarawa state is conceptualized as a fruit salad bowl, and the LSOS theatrical pieces as juice produced thereof. The idea of Fruit Salad Juice is demonstrated in the evidence of inclusivity and state identity found in the compositional elements of the Su-dir dance theatre and other outcomes of the LSOS project.

Theatre in film as intensification of senses. Othello in R. Eyre’s Stage Beauty

The article considers the phenomenon of theatre in film, associated with the effects of sensory intensification. In her analysis of R. Eyre’s drama Stage Beauty (an adaptation of J. Hatcher’s play Compleat Female Stage Beauty), the author shows that a theatrical performance within a film proves to be especially effective in engaging various perception modalities and bringing the audience in touch with their own sensations. A fragment of Act V Scene II of Othello constitutes the structural core of Eyre’s film. Affectively charged with fear of death, jealousy, and revenge, this fragment makes five appearances in the film. The viewers learn about a reconstruction of a historic theatre, as well as the emergence of a new and more naturalistic tradition. The essay is divided into small sections according to the logic of sensory focuses, which, Rybina argues, reveal themselves at each new staging of the fragment. Tracing how the perception modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) are activated, the author proves that the main goal of theatre in film is to enhance the viewers’ sensory awareness.

SCENOGRAPHY DESIGN IN A DIRECTOR’S ARTISTIC PRACTICE

The paper describes a methodology of designing scenography for a contemporary theatrical performance in the academic process. The systematic approach to artistic visualisation of a performance, modernisation of its structure, selection of scenography functions, style and type of design widen the range of the director’s interaction with the audience as well as contributes to effective management of the creative process from the stage of the artistic concept design through to its implementation. The method of depicting compositional schemes to design action development helps individual types of art interweave with the director’s concept, develop creative thinking and cope with numerous management challenges. Designing diverse parts of staging paves the way to developing students’ skills of comprehending the processes of integration of arts and technologies. The “directing scenographic concept” method contributes to the integration of the director’s and the artist’s professional activities, helps to express a creative idea in a groundbreaking form, and turns into an effective tool of innovative design and management of a theatrical performance.

Empathy unlocked: Enhancing Emotional Intelligence Skills using Communication Workshop for Undergraduates Medical and Dental Students.

Empathy is considered as a basic skill, if patient care is to be improved. Published literature showed that with academic progress from 1st year to final year, overall, there is a decline in empathy among undergraduates. Emerging evidence suggest that by stimulating emotional intelligence, we can improve empathy more effectively when compared to solely relying upon cognitive method of teaching.1 Review of the literature showed that in some way or other empathy may be taught“.2-5 Many ways to teach empathy has been proposed these includes; “improving interpersonal skills, audio or video-taping of encounters with patients, exposure to role model, role playing (aging game), shadowing a patient (patient navigator), hospitalisation experiences, studying literature and the arts, improving narrative skills, theatrical performances, and by discussing cases/clinical situation which has aroused feelings among students known as Balint method”. Among this interpersonal commination was addressed more in detail by Davis4 by developing Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) that identified multidimensional approach towards empathy and also ways how empathy may be improved. Different aspects of empathy and ways how it may be improved were best address by Krznaric et al.5 He identified 6 habits of highly empathic peoples and ways how these habits allow these empathic peoples to connect them with others very nicely.When reviews on the subjects were assessed, we found three reviews of worth mentioning.

The Problem of Subjectivity in Algorithmic Creativity Organisation

The aim of the article is to study the issue of determining subjectivity, authorship and uniqueness of the results of producing the creative process, organised by the use of algorithmic calculations. Results. The article clarifies the possibility of organising the artistic and creative process using mathematical calculations, and automating the reproduction of certain manipulations, additionally, it reveals signs of the uniqueness of the corresponding generation results, and grounds the degree of automating the cultural process. The scientific novelty of the article is revealed in the process of highlighting technical assets of modern art, which, although slowly, nevertheless quite demonstratively show the potential of algorithmic computing as a stimulator of creative innovations. Among the methods used in the process of analysing the issues which are raised in the article, first of all, the analytical method has to be singled out, that is based on both historical and philosophical processes, as well as modern cultural activity. Conclusions. It is revealed that algorithmic creativity is actually a kind of mechanised production process, organised in accordance with the features of machine training, and the identified signs of stylistic imitation of traditional practices. Two types of practices for organising the corresponding creative process are established according to the degree of interaction of artists with robotic systems: practices where robotic mechanisms become “subjects of creativity”, that is they are able to produce content for organizing artistic processes; practices involving the equal interaction of robotic mechanisms and artists (for instance, in theatrical performances). The cultural process automation leads to the decrease in the artist’s participation, and weakening of his authorship, but he still has an absolute advantage in the thinking orientation. Interpretation of meaningful content is a critical problem in relevant practices. The usage of algorithms in creating art products challenges traditional methods of artistic cultural creation, as the artist’s meaning and intentions are not always clear. Evaluating further prospects for the artistic culture development requires taking into account these aspects, and recognising potential consequences of forming algorithmic creativity for the further cultural development of humanity.

Differences in Mu rhythm when seeing grasping/motor actions in a real context versus on screens

Mu rhythm (∼8–12 Hz) in the somatosensory cortex has traditionally been linked with doing and seeing motor activities. Here, we aimed to learn how the medium (physical or screened) in which motor actions are seen could impact on that specific brain rhythm. To do so, we presented to 40 participants the very same narrative content both in a one-shot movie with no cuts and in a real theatrical performance. We recorded subjects’ brain activities with electroencephalographic (EEG) procedures, and analyzed Mu rhythm present in left (C3) and right (C4) somatosensory areas in relation to the 24 motor activities included in each visual stimulus (screen vs. reality) (24 motor and grasping actions x 40 participants x 2 conditions = 1920 trials). We found lower Mu spectral power in the somatosensory area after the onset of the motor actions in real performance than on-screened content, more pronounced in the left hemisphere. In our results, the sensorimotor Mu-ERD (event-related desynchronization) was stronger during the real-world observation compared to screen observation. This could be relevant in research areas where the somatosensory cortex is important, such as online learning, virtual reality, or brain-computer interfaces.