How do I look at a migrant? An analysis of the address and positioning of the spectator in No Man's Land

Abstract

In this thesis I will present an analysis of the address and positioning of the spectator in the performance No Man’s Land by Dries Verhoeven and explain how this leads to a corporeal experience. No Man’s Land is a performance in which the spectator is walking through Lombok while being guided by a migrant and hearing through his headphones a voice-over telling stories about the struggles of migrants. To analyze the construction of the experience of this spectator, I will use three theories and concepts from a different discipline than theatre studies. Focalization, from the field of narratology, will function as a tool to look at how the spectator is made aware of his active role and his physical presence. The cognitive theory of conceptual blending will be used to explain that the spectator has to shift between different modes of perception. Embodied simulation, a theory from cognitive neuroscience, will be used to address how simulation can and cannot be useful to understand the stories that are being told by the voice-over. By means of these theories and concepts I will claim that the perception of the spectator is destabilized and that he is invited to actively engage with the topic of migration and reflect on his assumptions and prejudices about this topic. Through this analysis I will not only lay bare the dramaturgy of the construction of spectatorship, but also further explore the potential of what other discourses have to offer for the field of theatre studies.