Research area

Theatrical works are an interesting subject of study for a number of reasons: First, the ephemeral nature of theatrical performances stands in tension with the traditional concept of the work of art. Second, the special component of producing a play is unique to the field of theater, and thirdly, the borderline case of theatrical improvisation is worth examining in depth from an ontological perspective. My dissertation project therefore aims to answer questions of art- and artifact-ontology in relation to the subject matter of theatrical works.

Since the performative turn and the upcoming of numerous post-dramatic productions, it has been widely accepted in theater studies that the concept of the theatrical work must give way to the concept of the theatrical event (cf. Fischer-Lichte 2014: 22; Sauter 2014: 97) or the theatrical situation (cf. Lehmann 2011: 245f.). In this dissertation project, however, the author would like to explain why it continues to be useful and beneficial to adhere to the concept of work in the field of theater. Due to the diversity of modern theater works, she too believes that the classic concept of production (i. e. producing a play) needs to be further differentiated.

One of the main goals of this dissertation will be to create a theater work taxonomy that brings together the above results. By rehabilitating the character of the work in theater and expanding the concept of production, the author hopes to lay the foundation for a debate on fidelity to the original work that is relevant not only in relation to classical, written theater works. In view of the increasingly popular mediatization of originally ephemeral theater performances, in which actors and spectators no longer act and intervene in a shared space, the question also arises as to what extent the digital transformation is changing the access, (re)production, and reception of theater performances.