Formation and Trends in Development of Digital Theatre in Contemporary Internet Culture

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to identify the peculiarities of the formation and the main trends of the development of digital theatre in the context of the specifics of contemporary Internet culture. Research methodology. The structural-functional method (to summarise the theoretical and methodological foundations of the study of digital theatre in contemporary Internet culture), the typological method (to determine the features of Internet culture), the diachronic method (to consider digital theatre in the context of the specifics of its historical development), the method of comparative analysis (to identify the common and distinctive features of online theatre and digital theatre); and the method of theoretical generalisation have been applied. Scientific novelty. The peculiarities of the formation and trends in the development of digital theatre in the context of modern Internet culture have been studied; the concepts of "digital theatre" and "online theatre" have been clarified; the main characteristics of digital theatre have been revealed; little-known materials on the development of digital theatre have been introduced into scientific circulation. Conclusions. The study has revealed that digital theatre is characterised by: the use of digital technologies as the basis of the production; various approaches of stage directors-producers to the use of digital technologies in the process of implementing the author's idea, which ensures the uniqueness and originality of each digital theatre performance; a high level of immersion, which involves the full immersion and involvement of the viewer in the theatrical action; specific interactivity (the viewer affects the development of the storyline); lack of binding to a specific venue; the possibility to attract a significant number of viewers (thanks to information and communication technologies); active combination of various techniques of theatre and film art, video games and media art; accessibility for potential viewers. Digital theatre performances presented in contemporary Internet culture on various platforms for video conferencing and webinars, social networks, and so on represent experimental forms of artificial integration of traditional elements of the performance into virtual reality, a new aesthetics of digital theatrical expression and, accordingly, lead to the transformation of professional tools. Digital theatre, which is currently in its infancy, has a powerful potential that arises at the intersection of theatricality and digitality.

Key words: digital theatre, online theatre, Internet culture, digital technologies, performances.