A Performative Ecosystem Framework for Contemporary Theatre Immersion

Thesis Abstract

This study addresses the fragmentation of audience engagement in contemporary theatre by proposing a Performative Ecosystem Framework that integrates audience perception, spatial dramaturgy, performance technologies, and social interaction to elucidate immersion as a multimodal, relational process. The aim is to develop a theoretically grounded framework that operationalizes immersion as emergent from the dynamic interactions among performances, spaces, technologies, and spectators within urban theatre ecosystems. Specific objectives include (1) identifying core components and interactions that constitute performative immersion; (2) determining how spatial configuration, audience agency, and technological mediators shape immersive experiences; (3) testing the explanatory power of the framework across diverse multi-genre productions; (4) articulating measurable indicators and a diagnostic model to assess immersion in real-time performance events; and (5) providing actionable recommendations for practitioners to optimize immersive theatre design. The study adopts a mixed-methods, model-building approach anchored in phenomenology, social constructivism, and activity theory, augmented by scene-specific theories such as Bakhtin’s dialogism and Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective to interpret audience–text–space interactions. The empirical phase comprises three case studies of immersive productions in a metropolitan theatre district, each employing purposive sampling to select 12–15 participants per performance for in-depth qualitative exploration and a broader survey of 200 audience members per case to quantify engagement dimensions. Data collection instruments include in-situ ethnographic observation protocols, semi-structured interviews with directors, designers, and audience members, audience response diaries, spatial analytics from sensor-based tracking, and post-performance surveys incorporating validated scales for presence, flow, and sensory engagement. Analytical procedures integrate thematic analysis for interview data, grounded theory coding to reveal emergent ecosystem constructs, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a hypothesized model linking spatial configuration, technological mediation, and perceived immersion to satisfaction and memory retention. The framework will specify a layered model of immersion comprising (i) perceptual salience and sensory load, (ii) cognitive integration and narrative coherence, (iii) social presence and collaborative meaning-making, and (iv) environmental affordances and dramaturgic agency. Expected findings include (1) identification of critical nexus points where technology and space amplify or dampen immersion, (2) evidence that co-created meaning across audience segments moderates immersion intensity, (3) demonstration that certain spatial typologies (e.g., promenade and site-specific configurations) correlate with higher presence and memory recall, and (4) a validated diagnostic instrument comprising five latent constructs with adequate reliability (Cronbach’s alpha > .80). The study’s contribution to knowledge lies in a transferable, empirically grounded Performative Ecosystem Framework that synthesizes theatre studies, interaction design, and crowd dynamics to explain immersion as an emergent property of an interconnected system rather than a property of a single element. The framework expands methodological repertoire for theatre research by integrating spatial analytics with qualitative and quantitative inquiry and offers a practical toolset for designers to anticipate audience trajectories, optimize materiality, and tailor dramaturgic strategies to diverse audiences. The main conclusion is that immersion in contemporary theatre emerges from calibrated interactions among performer agency, audience participatory potential, spatial choreography, and digital mediation, requiring an integrative design approach rather than isolated enhancements. Recommendations include the adoption of the framework in professional practice for pre-production scenario testing, the development of standardised immersion assessment protocols for touring productions, and the creation of training modules for directors and designers to cultivate ecosystem-aware dramaturgy. Suggestions for further research encompass longitudinal studies across city-wide immersive festivals and comparative analyses of cultural contexts to test the framework’s cross-cultural applicability.