Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Theatre and Dance

Additional Departmental Affiliation

Communication

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This creative project and study was proposed to investigate the impacts of online theatre on audience members’ emotions, feelings, and comprehension of the show. The Research questions asked were: RQ1: How does the viewing medium, if at all, affect the audience's response to a theatrical performance? And RQ2: Which, if any, technological mediums do audiences members prefer to use to watch theatre? Three versions of the same play were made and adapted to their respective social media platforms: YouTube, Instagram Live, and TikTok. Participants were asked to watch one of the three shows and fill out a survey. Forty participants responded to the qualitative and quantitative questions. I found that participants liked and preferred watching theatre in the form of YouTube videos the best and that most who watched the shows through those mediums understood the meaning, emotions, and takeaways from the show. Additionally, this project is an example and exercise of creative theatre, adapting to technological spaces despite the lack of cues from an audience or production that can be done. This project showed that there are audiences for Zoom theatre and Instagram posts equally, but YouTube, in the eyes of the audience, is the future of online theatre. We’re witnessing a drastic change in audience generation, preferences, and profile in addition to a massive cultural and technological shift. More research and art is able to be made based off of this project, both for academics and artists.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Michelle Dvoskin, Ph.D.

Disciplines

Communication | Social Media | Theatre and Performance Studies

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