Political Cyberformance

Written from a practice-based perspective, this book focuses on the political character of 'cyberformance': the genre of digital performance that uses the Internet as a performance space. The Etheatre Project comprises a series of experimental cyberformances aiming to reconsider the characteristics of theatre in the Internet age.

"This is the first monograph to consider the political potential of online performance, offering a valuable discussion of direct audience engagement and active participation strategies employed in political practices of cyberformance. The volume is highly recommended for practitioners in theatre and media alike, as well as students and scholars engaged in Practice as Research." - Maria Chatzichristodoulou, London South Bank University, UK

"Christina Papagiannouli's book is a timely addition to writings about theatre in a digital era, and in particular experimental performance on the Internet. Her discussion of a directorial response to this fast-developing scene geared around facilitation rather than auteur-like instruction provides a reflective challenge to several hierarchical and dramaturgical norms." Andy Lavender, University of Surrey, UK

Autorentext
Christina Papagiannouli received her Ph.D. in theatre and digital performance from University of East London (UEL), UK in 2014. She is currently a research assistant at University of South Wales, and previously has served as a visiting lecturer and research assistant at UEL. Papagiannouli has presented her work at a range of international events and conferences.

Klappentext

Political Cyberformance: The Etheatre Project examines the use of Internet platforms as theatrical, rehearsal and performance spaces and explores the interactive and political potentials of online theatre, questioning the boundaries of these in-between spaces and the spatial experiences they cause. In a political cyberformance, the role of the director is to promote real-time discussion between the audience and the performers via a chat box and assist the active participation of spectators in the performance. In particular, I look at forms of cyber-adaptation, cyber-ethnotheatre and cyber-collaboration as directing methodologies for producing dialectical forms of political cyberformances, with reference to the productions of Cyberian Chalk Circle (2011), Merry Crisis and a Happy New Fear (2012) and Etheatre Project and Collaborators (2014), respectively.

Inhalt

1. A Short Organum for Cyberformance

2. Towards an Online Community-Engaging and Participatory Theatre

3. The Etheatre Project

   Conclusion

   Bibliography

   List of websites

   Index