Abstract

Taking Jordan Tannahill’s play rihannaboi95 as case study, this article examines the ways in which digital theatre forms cultivate a unique spectator experience of perceived realness. Specifically, this article examines how the conventions of the YouTube video carry over and impact the audience experience of rihannaboi95, a theatrical monologue told in the style of a YouTube confessional. rihannaboi95 concerns a young person named Sunny (username rihannaboi95), who uploads videos of himself lipsyncing and dancing to Rihanna songs online. When his videos go viral in his high school community, he is subject to intense bullying from his peers and homophobia from his own family. From the form’s portability – able to be viewed on a personal laptop or phone in one’s private home – to the use of a live chat room in which audience members may talk to each other and the performer throughout the show, this article argues that the frameworks for viewing this piece encourage a unique form of empathetic participation from its audience. Using ideas of intimacy, affect, and realness, as well as audience responses, this piece investigates how the show’s virtual co-presence works to pervade the real-world, and thus uniquely crafts an experience that both feels real to its audiences and in turn encourages real contributions from those audiences.

摘要

本文以 Jordan Tannahill 的戏剧rihannaboi95为案例研究，探讨数字剧院形式如何培养独特的观众感知真实体验。具体来说，本文探讨了 YouTube 视频的惯例如何延续并影响rihannaboi95的观众体验，这是一个以 YouTube 忏悔风格讲述的戏剧独白。蕾哈娜博伊95涉及一个名叫 Sunny（用户名 rihannaboi95）的年轻人，他在网上上传了自己对着 Rihanna 歌曲进行口型同步和跳舞的视频。当他的视频在他的高中社区传播开来时，他受到同龄人的强烈欺凌和自己家人的恐同症。从表格的便携性（可以在私人家中的个人笔记本电脑或手机上查看）到使用实时聊天室，观众可以在其中与表演者在整个节目中相互交谈，本文认为框架观看这件作品可以鼓励观众以一种独特的同理心参与形式。使用亲密、情感和真实的想法，以及观众的反应，这篇文章研究了节目的虚拟共存如何渗透到现实世界中，