Witnessing Performance; Embodied Empathy and Responsibility in Theatre

Abstract

This thesis examines the spectatorial act of witnessing in the context of radical physical performance as a form of embodied empathy. Arguing the responsible presence of the audience in the theatre space, this study is an analysis of the dramaturgical strategies of case studies TANZ (2019) by Florentina Holzinger and The Furious Rodrigo Batista Side A + The B Side (2018) by Rodrigo Batista. Through a conceptual analysis, this thesis aims to explore the audience as a witness with corporeal and ethical dimensions.