Towards a Theatre of Be()longing

Abstract

In this thesis, I explore the potential of theatre in a world where the idea of the "real" is in crisis. I suggest that this ongoing disruption – brought about by the collapse of metaphysical distinctions such as real/fake, true/false – remains irresolvable if it continues to treat itself as a crisis rather than recognizing itself as a condition. Rather than assuming we are cut off from reality, one might instead consider that reality itself no longer functions within the parameters these concepts once provided. In relation to these changes, the work of the actor can no longer be described as dependent on these parameters either. Building on existential philosopher Martin Heidegger’s concept of dasein and post-structuralist Jacques Derrida’s notion of différance, and merging their thinking through the lens of artistic practice, I propose a revised understanding of presence as negotiation. Drawing from scholars such as Erika Fischer-Lichte, Amelia Jones, and Luk van den Dries, I examine how the tension between re-presentation and representation – the crisis of formulas amidst the relationality of space – calls for a reconsideration of distinctions such as mediated/present and essential/coded. This analysis contributes to the development of the concept of per-for(m)ation – as negotiating one’s own absence – examining how theatre, as a relational space, becomes a vehicle for engaging with the collapse of traditional metaphysical distinctions, in order to realize (as recognize and create) realities that are processual, co-created, and very real. Under these circumstances I argue, the focus necessarily shifts from what to how, marking the emergence of the dramaturg as a pivotal figure in the creation of theatre. Every question (surrounding the making of theatre) becomes inherently dramaturgical.