Perpetual Vs. Permanent: Theatre And Digitalization – Friends Or Foes?

Abstract

The article regards communication mechanisms of theatre as a social institution and pillar of culture targeted at preserving current moral values as well as forming new cognitive and moral ones meeting the challenges of today's meaning the digitalization of art in particular. The analysis of the communication space of theatrical discourse characterized by conventionality and regularity reveals its principle constituents that ensure the addressing vector goes from the playwright to the audience through the intermediary of the director and the company. The audience is a mandatory element of the system and their reactions are regulated by the communication code signaling of the performance being successful or a failure. The audience is majorly silent due to the communication code restricting them in the way they manifest their emotions and impressions. Still their reactions are principal though non-verbal. The research findings prove relevant due to theatre answering the digital challenges through new theatrical forms and technologies like the emerging immersive, and implying actors-audience interaction, and VRperformances. The latter suggest the audience is moving and interacting with real objects against the synchronized video. New formats employed prompt theatre is developing within the promotes digital framework preserving its essence and still corresponding to the communication code and longstanding canons.