Towards theatre remix : a net generational perspective on theatre making

Fourie, Ilse

Towards theatre remix : a net generational perspective on theatre making

Master Thesis

2011

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Drama

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

My research explicates the process of remix, normally associated with digital media, and contemplates how it could be applied to live performance in order to create a 'theatre remix'. I locate my own subject position as a theatre maker within what is termed the Net Generation and regard remix as part of the Net Generation's creative expression. This paper outlines the characteristics, significance and mindset of the Net Generation to provide context for and to enable a better comprehension of remix as a creative expression for the Net Generation. Remix is regarded as a conscious process used to innovate and create through means of copy, transformation and combination. The possible cultural implications of remix are considered as a challenge to notions of originality, a larger cultural need to celebrate re-appropriation and laying claim to cultural inheritance by making use of popular culture as a source for new creative works. It is acknowledged that we live in a convergence culture (as posited by Henry Jenkins 2006), where content moves between different forms of media. For example an image, song or narrative is transferable across a range of media such as television, cinema, the Internet or theatre. A possibility to converge digital sources with live performance in order to create a 'theatre remix' lies in seeking the similarities between these seemingly different media. I contend that what could possibly be most enticing about remixing digital media with performance is that, due to performance's liveness, it offers something other remixes cannot-presence. Remixes are predominantly digital such as music, remixing clips from movies to create faux trailers for hypothetical movies and setting remixed movie clips to remixed music. Therefore they are mediated and cannot be experienced in the same way one would experience a live event.

Description

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-41).

Keywords

Theatre Making

Reference:

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Masters

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