Metalove play as a digital performance experience

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

This study presents the first account of the Metalove play, which is based on the creating of theatrical performance through Metahumans. The theatrical production ‘Metalove’ was live-streamed on the online video sharing platform YouTube subsequent to the comprehensive process of theatre play production. In this study, ‘Metalove’, implemented by the researchers, was analysed as an exemplar of digital theatre. The research employed an autoethnographic approach, a qualitative research methodology, and involved the analysis of the play’s dramatic structure as well as the performance recording. Additionally, it examined the experiences of the practitioners involved in the production. The data from this research indicate that the integration of new media tools in theatre yields positive outcomes, as assessed from the perspectives of both practitioners and audiences. This project shows that theatre can engage with its audience in an independent, unrestricted and active manner through the use of digital broadcasting tools. Metalove can be viewed as a transition project that extends from the realm of theatre to the metaverse, potentially contributing to interactive media universe. Digital performances that adhere to the ‘here and now’ principle of theatre will serve as critical components of contemporary theatre. This adherence will encourage practitioners to pursue diverse experimental projects and promote the development of new initiatives within the field.