The Transformation of Liveness and Reality in Theatre in the Context of Mediatization

Abstract

This article examines how mediatization has transformed the concepts of liveness and reality in theatre. Historically, theatre has been defined as an art form predicated upon the physical co-presence of actor and audience, the experience of ‘here and now’, and corporeal presence. However, with the development of recording, transmission, and digital media technologies, these concepts have been fundamentally problematized, stripping them of their status as stable attributes. Adopting a conceptual and theoretical framework, the study analyzes liveness through the debates between Peggy Phelan and Philip Auslander, and approaches reality through Guy Debord’s theory of the society of the spectacle and Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulation. The findings demonstrate that liveness has shifted from an ontological essence to a historically constructed perceptual category shaped by processes of mediatization, while reality has moved from a stable referential ground toward regimes of spectacle and simulation. This study highlights that understanding contemporary theatre requires addressing liveness and reality as historically reconfigured concepts within the conditions of mediatized perception.