Embodiment in online performance

Abstract

Chapter 1 opens the dissertation by discussing the theories of what performance and embodiment are and how different theoreticians look at performance. Is it in everyday actions? Or must it be rehearsed over and over for it to be classified as performance? This will serve as the basis to the rest of the dissertation. It encompasses discussions about various definitions of ‘performance’, which will develop in a way to include performance in everyday life. The debate will focus mainly around the ideas of believability, spectatorship, and embodiment; examining the meaning of these three aspects through the use of theory and examples of everyday life activities and events. Additionally focusing on their meaning within different theatre practices and how different theatre practitioners put them to use. My research stems from the work of practitioners and researchers like Sita Popat whom I mentioned previously, as her research into online embodiment is what inspired the theme of this dissertation. Other theoreticians discussed are Erving Goffman (for his theory of everyday life), Richard Schechner (using his theory of performance), Steve Dixon (using his discussion of online performance), and, more briefly, Gunter Berghaus and Constatin Stanislavski. Chapter 2 deliberates on the notions and concepts introduced in Chapter 1 and apply them to the idea of ordinary people transforming their social media profile into a performance for others using the same site. The effect of performances online on daily life will be discussed by mainly making reference to Dixon’s theories of Online Performance. For example, the integration of smart phones and tablets, and the way they impinge on the broad category of ‘performance’, will be discussed. This chapter defines this particular concept of daily life into two main categories, mainly how ordinary people use social media; and how their profiles can be regarded as a type of performance. It is in this chapter that I will refer briefly to the use professional practitioners make of social media and the Internet to set up and produce performances and exhibitions. This brief reference will assist me in reaffirming that not only do ordinary people unconsciously set up a performance through their everyday use of their profile, but also shows that performers consciously sign into these websites to set up and market their own performances. Finally, Chapter 3 will be my own personal case study built on my very own experience when creating and using personal social media profiles both on Facebook and Twitter. Both of these personal profiles on Facebook and Twitter were set up in 2008, and I will be discussing the development of the content posted throughout the years of being a user of these social media websites. I will also be discussing how I utilized my Facebook page throughout my second year, as I was elected into the student council and fulfilled my role as Culture and Entertainment Officer. It will also show my study on the use of aliases through a Facebook page I set up at the beginning of my final year. Moreover, I also examine my involvement and experience of having set up a YouTube page. All of the above was done whilst using the name ‘expressingwordz’. I developed this alias separate from my online profile so that I could not only reach a broader audience, but also so that people on social media who weren’t my personal friends could access the content I was uploading. It helped broaden my reach towards other people using social media as a forum of ideas and as a place for uploading content such as videos, were I discussed topics I deemed important at the time. Taking into example a video in which I discussed the issue of Homophobia and Civil Union, which were very important topics in Malta through the past year.