Comparative Analysis of Indigenous Performance and Modern Theatre Practices

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates the convergence and tensions between Indigenous performance traditions and contemporary theatre practices to illuminate how cultural memory, ritual embodiment, and community storytelling influence modern dramaturgy, production processes, and audience reception in a multicultural urban context. The central problem addressed is the underutilization and mischaracterization of Indigenous performance paradigms within mainstream theatre education, creation, and criticism, which often marginalizes indigenous aesthetic vocabularies while privileging Eurocentric dramaturgies. The aim is to establish a robust comparative framework that identifies synergies and frictions between Indigenous performance forms—such as oral narrative, ceremonial enactment, ensemble choreography, and participatory spectatorship—and modern theatre practices, including script-based dramaturgy, stage design, and professionalized directing. Specific objectives include (1) delineating the ontological and epistemological assumptions underpinning Indigenous performance and modern theatre; (2) mapping narrative structures, performance rhetoric, and audience engagement mechanisms across both modalities; (3) examining the role of space, ritual timing, and community authorship in production decisions; (4) evaluating educational and training implications for theatre conservatories and Indigenous performance organizations; and (5) proposing a transferable framework for inclusive dramaturgy that honors indigenous epistemologies while enabling contemporary theatrical innovation. The study employs a mixed-methods design organized into three phases. Phase one comprises a comparative ethnography of five Indigenous performance communities and five contemporary theatre companies in the same metropolitan area, involving 60 in-depth interviews with practitioners (20 Indigenous theorists, 20 performers, 20 directors) and 40 focus groups with audiences (8 groups per community/company). Phase two uses a content analysis of 30 recent performances (15 Indigenous-inspired works, 15 modern productions) coded for ritual embodiment, narrative sourcing, audience participation, and use of space. Phase three integrates findings through thematic analysis guided by two theoretical lenses Walter Benjamin’s concept of aura in reproducible art and Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s decolonizing research methodology, augmented by Thorsten J. Benkert’s performance theory of ritual intimacy. Data gathering tools include semi-structured interview protocols, observation checklists, performance coding schemas, and audience survey instruments validated through pilot testing with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82 for internal consistency. Anticipated findings suggest that Indigenous performance preserves a layered temporal logic and communal authorship that intensifies sensory engagement and memory retention, while modern theatre contributes technical dramaturgy, scalable production design, and broader market reach. The comparative analysis is expected to reveal convergences in ensemble improvisation, storytelling as a social process, and the orchestration of music, movement, and speech. However, persistent divergences are likely in authorship control, ritual sacrality in public performance, and conventions of spectator passivity. The study predicts that when Indigenous ritual and narrative frameworks are co-constructed with contemporary staging techniques, productions achieve higher audience immersion and intercultural understanding, whereas exclusive reliance on Western dramaturgy risks eroding indigenous semiotics and community accountability. The contribution to knowledge includes (a) a nuanced typology of Indigenous-to-modern theatre dialogue, (b) an evidence-based framework for interdisciplinary dramaturgy that integrates ritual theatre principles with contemporary stagecraft, (c) methodological innovations for ethical collaboration between Indigenous communities and theatre institutions, and (d) practical guidelines for curricula that embed indigenous epistemologies in theatre training without compromising artistic integrity. The study concludes that a principled, reciprocal exchange between Indigenous performance and modern theatre can expand creative possibilities, promote cultural sustainability, and foster more inclusive repertoires. Recommendations emphasize co-authored productions with Indigenous cultural custodians, mandatory reflexivity training for practitioners, and policy reforms to support Indigenous-led pedagogies within theatre schools and funding bodies.