Shakespeare, Technicity, Theatre

This study explores contemporary Shakespeare performance to bring a sense of theatre as technology into view, emphasizing the intermedial nature of the theatre and the complex interactions between live and mediated acting, written media, and technological advancements. It provides a theoretical reading of the stakes of theatre as an always-emerging technology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 279 pages
Publication date: 18 August 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This urgent and provocative study delves into the realm of contemporary Shakespeare performance, seeking to unveil the intricate interplay between theatre and technology. Rather than merely employing technologies as mere tools, the theatre's distinctively intermedial nature becomes paramount in understanding its complex technicity. The shifting roles of gesture, costume, written documents, light, sound, and the dynamic interplay between live and recorded acting further complicate our perception of theatre as a medium. Through a series of insightful discussions, Worthen delves into the intricate dynamics of live and mediated acting onstage, explores the transformative impact of written media, from handwritten scrolls to small-screen apps, as technēs that shape performances. He also examines the work of Original Practices as an interactive modern theatre technology, investigates the economic implications of theatrical immersion, and considers the consequences of an emerging algorithmic theatre. In doing so, Worthen offers a richly theoretical interpretation of the stakes involved in theatre as an ever-evolving technology.

The study explores the realm of contemporary Shakespeare performance, delving into the intricate interplay between theatre and technology. Rather than merely employing technologies as mere tools, the theatre's distinctively intermedial nature becomes paramount in understanding its complex technicity. The shifting roles of gesture, costume, written documents, light, sound, and the dynamic interplay between live and recorded acting further complicate our perception of theatre as a medium.

Through a series of insightful discussions, the study delves into the intricate dynamics of live and mediated acting onstage, explores the transformative impact of written media, from handwritten scrolls to small-screen apps, as technēs that shape performances. It also examines the work of Original Practices as an interactive modern theatre technology, investigates the economic implications of theatrical immersion, and considers the consequences of an emerging algorithmic theatre.

In doing so, the study offers a richly theoretical interpretation of the stakes involved in theatre as an ever-evolving technology. The exploration of contemporary Shakespeare performance serves as a lens through which we can examine the evolving relationship between theatre and technology, and the profound implications it holds for our understanding of performance and the arts.

Weight: 380g
ISBN-13: 9781108703048