THEATRE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: CHALLENGES AND AUDIENCE VIEWING EXPERIENCES

Abstract

A digital native audience may find it more difficult to be captivated by a theatrical performance in the age of technology, yet theater has evolved and survived every technological advancement. The popularity of the plays in Shakespeare's day appears to have been largely dependent on audience behavior, much as it was in the times of Aristophanes and Plautus. In our local Pakistani context, the study investigates whether theater can survive in the present digital media landscape and addresses the key elements that can affect a viewer's decision to see theater in a live setting. A good play, production, and performance are evaluated by audiences who are highly "theatre-literate. Despite the latest developments in technology, there are audiences who are essentially motivated by human interaction and insight, who yearn for the live experience, who appreciate being live in the room with the entertainer and that audience is the reason for the survival of theatre in a digital age. A survey method is utilized to collect data from 200 theater-savvy audiences in order to glean the most pertinent information and enhance the analysis of the information gathered. The results will demonstrate that regular theatergoers choose to attend theater live rather than for free online in order to experience a sense of relationship with the performers and other audience members. The majority of theatergoers said that attending live theater in an era of digital technology was still very much worthwhile. Because theater is a global cultural phenomenon that exists in all societies, the study is important on both a national and international level