Theatre Industry Research Articles

Research on the Marketization and Globalization Development Model of Cultural and Creative Industries: Analysis Based on the Globalization Development of Musical Theatre

This paper discusses the marketization and globalization of cultural creative industry and takes China's musical industry as the research object. In recent years, with the vigorous development of the cultural market and the improvement of the audience's appreciation level, people pay more and more attention to the cultural creative industry. This article also analyzes the challenges facing the industry, including the lack of professional creative talent, standard scriptwriter and professional production team. It also explores the emergence of innovative modes of production, such as cross-border collaboration and audience-oriented creativity, which have contributed to the sector's progress. In addition, the paper discusses the impact of globalization on industry, and emphasizes the increasing importance of international product influx and copyright acquisition. Finally, this study aims to provide profound insights into the future trends and prospects of China's musical theatre industry and valuable recommendations for its sustainable and healthy development in the world.

EP474 - Recycling Theatre Waste: A Quality Improvement Project

Abstract Background Theatre waste recycling is a crucial aspect of sustainable theatre production. Staff are usually under time pressure to empty and clean the theatre. This quality improvement project (QIP) aims to assess and reduce waste-related cost and carbon footprint by improving the proportion of waste recycled. Methods A retrospective review of the waste data and related cost for main theatres in Nottingham City Hospital (NCH) in 2022 was audited. A quick guide for waste disposal and recycling was made with the help of environmental department and was disseminated to the theatre staff electronically and physically. Data was reaudited for February to March 2023 post intervention. Results 86.6 tons of waste was generated from the main theatres in NCH in 2022 and 18.4% of the waste was recycled. Monthly proportion of waste recycled ranged from 9.3% (January 2022) to 35.0% (December 2022). The proportion of waste recycled for February and March was 36.7% and 26.4% respectively. Conclusion The findings of this QIP demonstrate the potential for significant improvements in theatre waste recycling rates, which can lead to reduced cost and carbon footprint. The use of a quick guide for waste disposal and recycling proved to be an effective intervention in improving recycling rates among theatre staff. This QIP highlights the importance of promoting sustainable practices in the theatre industry, and the necessity to sustain the effort to maintain the impact.

A Study on Trends and Strategic Directions for the Growth of the Korean Musical Theater Industry : Focusing on SWOT-AHP Analysis

A Study on Trends and Strategic Directions for the Growth of the Korean Musical Theater Industry : Focusing on SWOT-AHP Analysis

Economic Performance and Business Models in the Chinese Theatre Industry: A Comparison of Wuzhen Water Town and Huichang Theatre Village

The Chinese theatre industry, despite its rich cultural heritage, has been historically overshadowed by other entertainment forms and has faced challenges in adapting to modern market dynamics. This paper explores the economic performance and business models of the Chinese theatre industry through a comparative case analysis of two distinct tourist attractions, Wuzhen Water Town and Huichang Theatre Village. The research methodology includes a review of the industry's historical context, an examination of current economic trends, and the case study analysis of the two venues. The finding reveals that while the industry has shown growth and is gradually embracing commercialization, it still faces significant challenges, including economic sustainability, infrastructure development, and balancing authenticity with commercial interests. The case study highlights unique approaches each venue takes to address these challenges, with Wuzhen focusing on international festivals and Huichang Theatre Village aiming to be a year-round cultural hub. Both venues strive to innovate and adapt to modern audience preferences while preserving their historical and cultural significance. The Chinese theater industry is gradually emphasizing on market and commercialization, while it needs to find a balance between maintaining artistic and commercial success. By learning from the successful experiences of the West, the Chinese theater industry has the potential to achieve sustainable development and contribute economically and culturally.

The Emancipated Amateur: Rancierian Reviewing Practices and New Models of Theatre Criticism

The current proliferation of digital platforms and the reduction of arts coverage in mainstream media outlets in Canada has given rise to many theatre reviewers whose contributions to critical discourse are often dismissed because they lack professional legitimization. This article uses Jacques Rancière’s formulations of the ignorant schoolmaster and the emancipated spectator to interrogate the distinction between professional and amateur critics. It argues that participants and practices typically understood as amateur provide models of criticism that are pluralistic, affective, and inclusive. Analyzing three central case studies—a newspaper column featuring “regular” spectators, reviews by children and youth, and mentorship initiatives for emerging Black, Indigenous, and people of colour critics—the article demonstrates how amateurs challenge the notion of expertise as exclusive knowledge possessed by the elite. It highlights the benefits of opening up critical conversations during this crucial moment when the Canadian theatre industry is confronting its complicity in systemic injustices and seeking to attract new audiences.

The Opportunities and Challenges of Theater Stage Design in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and new media technologies has revolutionized the theater industry, offering innovative opportunities for artistic expression and audience engagement. This article explores the impact of AI on multimedia stage design, particularly its implications for the theater industry and individuals with disabilities. By analyzing the innovative applications of artificial intelligence in scriptwriting, stage design, and virtual reality, the article points out the new opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence brings to artists and audiences. It particularly emphasizes how the combination of AI with AR/VR technologies provides a novel artistic experience for disabled individuals while also offering suggestions and prospects in areas such as intelligent audience experiences, copyright protection, and the transformation of traditional theaters. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of artificial intelligence in leading the theater industry forward and calls for an open-minded approach to addressing the challenges posed by new technologies, ensuring that theatrical arts continue to inspire audiences.

The Opportunities and Challenges of Theater Stage Design in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and new media technologies has revolutionized the theater industry, offering innovative opportunities for artistic expression and audience engagement. This article explores the impact of AI on multimedia stage design, particularly its implications for the theater industry and individuals with disabilities. By analyzing the innovative applications of artificial intelligence in scriptwriting, stage design, and virtual reality, the article points out the new opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence brings to artists and audiences. It particularly emphasizes how the combination of AI with AR/VR technologies provides a novel artistic experience for disabled individuals while also offering suggestions and prospects in areas such as intelligent audience experiences, copyright protection, and the transformation of traditional theaters. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of artificial intelligence in leading the theater industry forward and calls for an open-minded approach to addressing the challenges posed by new technologies, ensuring that theatrical arts continue to inspire audiences.

Theatre, disability and wellbeing: addressing best practice and creative outcomes across disabled and non-disabled communities through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

ABSTRACT Background In the context of ongoing underrepresentation of disabled people and shifts in the theatre industry, this article examines the significance of personal disability understandings and how these are interpreted in relation to the wellbeing of disabled people in theatre. Methods The findings presented are part of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis; an interdisciplinary study detailing experiences of theatre practice and disability among professional actors and directors in theatres that are funded by Arts Council England. Results One of the six emergent themes from interviews, Navigating Inexperience of Disability in Theatre, assists in considering disability understandings and aspects of actors’ wellbeing in this article. It details interpersonal and emotional competencies required of disabled people in day-to-day practice; these relate to confidence, risk, empathy, compromise, value, and contribution. Conclusions Routes to building accessibility in theatre are proposed as a shared and personal endeavour; value is placed on learning from disability as crucial in preserving wellbeing, creativity, and effective arts practices across disabled and non-disabled communities.

Moviegoing in the wake of a pandemic: Re-evaluating the attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of U.S. Moviegoers in the streaming era

ABSTRACT In the last decade, streaming services rose to create an entirely new market of high-quality content that would coexist with the traditional theatrical release model; however, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. As the theatrical industry struggles to recover from the consequences of the pandemic-era streaming boom, scholars and industry practitioners alike are in desperate need of actionable, data-driven insights that look beyond pre-pandemic industry precedent. Our research aims to fill the research gap by expanding the scope of who the industry has traditionally targeted as a “moviegoer.” This study uses exploratory survey data to reevaluate moviegoer attitudes, intentions, and behaviors for watching a film via streaming services vs. in movie theaters. Our analysis presents significant implications for long-term U.S. film industry recovery in the post-pandemic streaming era.

Dressing for disaster: Edo firefighter uniforms and the kabuki tradition

In eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Edo, firefighters were cultural icons in the life of the city. A dense forest of wooden buildings, Japan’s new capital was notorious for its fierce blazes. The hikeshi (‘firefighters’) became instantly recognizable for their striking full-body tattoos and ornately painted jackets, which they would flaunt to the watching crowds after extinguishing a blaze. This unique bodily adornment came to symbolize their manly bravery and the hikeshi were soon popular protagonists in the emerging world of kabuki theatre; multiple ukiyo-e (prints of Edo’s entertainment district) document kabuki actors in their guise. In this article, I illuminate the interactions between the cultural phenomena of Edo – renowned for its print and theatre industries – as they shaped, and were shaped by, the dress and bodies of its firefighters. Through a survey of surviving hikeshi uniforms, I demonstrate visual and material connections between the hikeshi’s ornamented skin, their garments and a series of illustrations by Utagawa Kuniyoshi for the 1827 edition of the epic poem, ‘Water Margin’, about a band of mythically strong bandits. I therefore reframe uniform as an expressive piece of menswear through which the hikeshi participated in an invented masculinity.

Still Here? Aging Female Vocalities in Musical Theatre.

Musical theatre has a complex relationship with ageing (and especially female ageing). As youth has always been at the forefront of musicals, essentialist approaches to ageing in articulation and enactment of ageing musical characters often lead to aesthetic peripheries and creative stagnation. Aiming for a deeper understanding of how female ageing vocalities are perceived, dramaturged and performed in musical theatre, the article takes under consideration viewpoints from ‘outsiders’/ageing performers who work ‘at the centre’ of the musical theatre industry (West End and Broadway).Through a close analysis of two ageing female characters (Madame Armfeldt and Grandma) in the musicals A Little Night Music and Billy Elliot, this article discusses and critiques preconceptions of ageing in the dramaturgy and performance of these roles, and it argues that musicals frequently fail to give agency to the voice of their ageing women.

Performing the ‘Invisible’ in <i>Yemoja</i> and ‘Our Family Secret’ through multimedia and virtual theatre

Modern technology has necessitated the digitalisation of stage performances, especially in the 21st century. Although, technology applies to many industries as it enhances productivity and creativity, however, theatre industry seems to benefit from technology more than other industries as the use of digital devices has boosted the industry beyond the physical stage and it has also given stage theatre popularity in the media space. It is on this premise that this study examined the exploration of “Multimedia Theatre and Virtual Theatre” towards making the invisible visible in the performances of Ahmed Yerima’s Yemoja and ‘Biola Adumati’s ‘Our Family Secret.’ The findings from the study revealed that many play directors on the Nigerian stage have experimented with multimedia and virtual theatres in the process of play directing which have enhanced the quality of their works. These production techniques have been employed by some artistic directors to tell flashback stories by projecting them to the audience during live performances, some explored the same technology to create scenes that seemed impossible on stage such as sea or fire scenes. Hence, this paper concludes that the art of play directing can be a lot easier with the use of multimedia theatre technique to tell the hidden stories within the play and making the invisible visible.

David Bisaha. American Scenic Design and Freelance Professionalism

Moving away from individual design practice to look at the institutional power structures that governed the flow of labour and capital in the theatre industry throughout the twentieth century, this well-researched examination of the movement toward professionalization in American scenic design adds an important new dimension to American theatre history.

Critical Conversations: Emerging BIPOC Critics Reimagine Theatre Criticism through the Digital

Abstract: Theatre criticism in the Global North currently finds itself at a pivotal point, as the internet eclipses legacy media as the central space for critical discourse and as ongoing antiracist and anticolonial activism highlights the underrepresentation of BIPOC artists across the theatre industry. Within this context, stakeholders in the theatre community, recognizing the importance of a vibrant critical discourse, are faced with finding more sustainable and equitable models. This article considers the future of theatre reviewing through a case study of Taking on the World (TotW), a mentorship program for emerging BIPOC critics run in conjunction with Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company and Intermission magazine. TotW participants' innovative critical practice demonstrates that de-hierarchizing theatre criticism necessitates reimagining the form, and specifically centering conversation as a key quality of process and product. Exploiting the capabilities of the digital, TotW participants embed conversation within their work and model a mode of criticism that challenges traditional notions of expertise and is ultimately more inclusive. Applying recent scholarship on theatre criticism to examples of work produced in the program and participant interviews, this article advances new ways of practicing and teaching theatre criticism at this crucial moment.

Teātra kritika Covid-19 pandēmijas laikā (2020–2022)

The experience of the pandemic period (2020–2022) has become part of the recent history of Latvian theatre, and the purpose of this article is to analyse the adaptation of criticism to the ‘new normal’ in terms of both form and content. The article’s research object is the reviews by theatre critics in the Latvian printed press and electronic media during the period of pandemic restrictions – from March 13, 2020, until spring 2022. After March 13, 2020, when the first outbreak of Covid-19 began in Latvia, inevitable confusion arose not only in theatres but also in the press writing about the theatre industry. The specialised cultural media had to create a new concept of content, shifting from performance reviews to the format of interviews or discussions. As theatres created new performative works of various formats, critics had to find new ways and vocabulary to write about them, including the use of new words such as ‘covid time’, ‘lockdown’, ‘online performance’, etc. New virtual performances contributed to discussions about whether or not e-theatre is a ‘real theatre’; critics began to pay attention to such technical aspects as the angle of the camera, the specifics of editing, the choice of close-ups, etc. Discussions became relevant on how to distinguish between performances created specifically for the virtual environment and recordings of performances that theatres showed during lockdown. Experimental formats of criticism emerged: in the spring of 2020, a cycle of fake reviews of performances that were not shown to the public due to the pandemic was published in the electronic journal Kroders.lv; inspired by the form used in Elmārs Seņkovs’s successful virtual performance “Iran Conference”, four critics founded the KuKū critics’ discussion club on the Zoom platform, its name describing the sense of the world at that time. Criticism changed from evaluative and analytical in the traditional sense to empathically descriptive, stimulating a discussion about the ethics of criticism. Categorical definitions turned into discussion questions and critical observations – into empathetic advice on how theatres can survive in pandemic conditions. The authors’ article explores these and other aspects of form and content by conducting a qualitative content analysis of Latvian theatre critics’ reviews and outlining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Latvian theatre criticism.

Divorced, beheaded, defied: solidarity in individual and collective herstories in SIX the Musical (2017)

ABSTRACT Recent television shows and specials, films, and biographical musicals such as SIX the Musical (2017), signal an ongoing preoccupation with the British monarchy, particularly as it intersects with empowering re-tellings of women’s herstories. SIX reassesses the wives’ relationships to Henry VIII and to each other, and explores how they have been portrayed and mythologised throughout history. It reimagines each of the wives as pop princess characters, giving each queen an amplified and powerful voice and a platform with which to use it. Humour is used to expose the ways in which gender is socially constructed and performed, how it is represented in musical theatre, and to challenge accepted narratives surrounding the six women. SIX demonstrates how women’s individual and collective agency can co-exist, and how the solidarity between the wives on stage, and the women playing them, can also extend to the women in the audience. SIX is also distinctive in the majority-female and non-binary practitioners that comprise its creative team, which further challenges the typically male-dominated musical theatre industry. In this short article, I examine the form and function of the feminism promoted by SIX, and in particular its engagement with female joy, frivolity, and love.

MARKETING MANAGEMENT IN THE FIELD OF THEATRE ARTS

Even taking into account the difficult conditions of life in Ukraine, society always strives to restore itself by filling itself with positive emotions. Considering these aspects, the theater industry is still growing even faster than during the pandemic since 2020. Accordingly, today marketing is an important tool for the successful functioning and development of theatrical art, ensuring its accessibility, popularity and financial stability. The purpose of the article is to analyze the effectiveness of marketing management support in the field of theatrical art. The results of the analysis of queries in the Google search network, scientometric databases Scopus and Web of Science confirm the relevance of the researched topic. An analysis of the dynamics of search queries for the period from 2004 to May 2024 showed significant fluctuations in interest in marketing management and theater arts, which were caused by economic crises and the COVID-19 pandemic. After the recovery in 2022, new marketing platforms such as TikTok have contributed to positive changes in the field of marketing management. Geographical analysis shows a predominance of interest in theater arts in Canada, Australia, Great Britain and Ireland, while in China, Brazil, Germany and Ukraine there is a greater interest in marketing management. The author revealed an increase in the level of interest among the scientific community in the field of research into the effectiveness of marketing management in the theater industry. This is evidenced by the general increase in the number of scientific works over the past five years by almost 20%, taking into account the rather wide geography of publishing activity. A competitive analysis of four of the largest and most popular theaters of Ukraine - Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theater, Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater, Solomiya Krushelnytska Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and Kyiv National Academic Molodyy Theatre - emphasized the importance of modern marketing strategies and active using social media to successfully promote theater productions.

"Text up his name": The Authorship of the Manuscript Play Dick of Devonshire

Abstract: The manuscript play Dick of Devonshire has been attributed to several early modern dramatists, including Thomas Heywood, Robert Davenport, James Shirley, and Thomas Dekker. Identifying the author is important to obtaining a better understanding of the play's place in the Caroline commercial theater industry and how it came to be staged by Queen Henrietta Maria's Men in the summer of 1626. This article reviews the arguments that have been made for and against the various authorial candidates and, using historical and literary evidence as well as new computational analysis, establishes that Thomas Heywood is the play's most likely author.

To Bootleg or Not to Bootleg: How Does the Theatre Industry View Illegally Filmed Productions Today?

The article examines the capturing and distribution of illegally filmed videos of Broadway and other professional theatrical productions. It includes interviews with Broadway producers and performers as well as students and instructors of musical theatre and discusses how, in many ways, these videos can have a positive effect on broadening the audience demographics for live performances and creating future generations of live theatregoers.

Cultural and philosophical analysis of theatrical art in Kazakhstan

This article considers the ways of professional evelopment of kazakh directing in the era of globalization, having studied the artistic horizons of modern theatrical art from a new point of view. The directions of continuity of the theatre sphere, which is an artistic and aesthetic phenomenon in the culture of our state, from ancient times to the present day are considered. The national character of the country's theatrical directing is considered the trends of its development in the context of cultural and philosophical contexts. Theatrical art is a spiritual, social, artistic and aesthetic beginning for the nation from analysis of the current trends in the development of theatrical directing in Kazakhstan, determining its existence and essence. The role of the theatre industry is determined in a globalizing society in the preservation and development of the image and image of the nation. Scientific and theoretical analysis of the creative heritage of outstanding national directors will be carried out. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of theatrical art for the socio – cultural space of modern Kazakhstan, to determine the role of theatrical amateurs in the formation of modern kazakh culture, to identify interaction with other elements of the socio-cultural system.