The Dialectics of Spectator Performance in the Strategy of the Contemporary Iraqi Multimedia Theater

Abstract

This research is based on the hypothesis that the effectiveness of theatrical performance increases when its strategies are deliberately directed toward the spectator, not only drawing them into the space of reception but also implicating them in the very process of the dramatic event. Such an approach relies on directorial pre-calculations aimed at generating shocks and stimuli that enable what may be termed the "performance of the spectator." Within this framework, the study examines multimedia theatrical productions that seek to enrich their artistic and aesthetic discourse by activating the creativity of the audience and integrating them as an organic part of the performative system.

The research is structured across four chapters:

Chapter One outlines the methodological framework, presenting the research problem, which assumes that the theatrical spectator can become both performer and co-creator of meaning within the performance system as a whole, according to a predetermined strategy of the production. It also defines the significance, objectives, limitations, and the operational use of the term performance.

Chapter Two provides the theoretical framework, addressing: (1) The Human and the Dialectics of Reception, and (2) The Performance of the Spectator in Multimedia Theatrical Production.These discussions yield scientific indicators that serve as analytical units for examining spectator performance in Iraqi theater.

Chapter Three details the research procedures, including methodology, sampling, and analysis, with the case study of the play Red Carpet (dir. Jabbar Joudi, 2015).

Chapter Four discusses the findings, presents the conclusions, and lists the sources and references