The Actor's Extended Body : Dramaturgies between and through technology

Abstract

This thesis examines the concept of the actor’s extended body in performance, focusing on how the actor’s dramaturgy works through technological frameworks. Examining inner and outer bodies, the study introduces a third category—the extended body as a technological output. This output is discussed in study cases, including performances such as Knife Jerks – Puukkojunkkarit, Finnish National Theatre’s Täällä Pohjantähden alla, and performances with robots, motion capture, and live-video theatre. The thesis explores how bodies extend beyond traditional boundaries, impacting dramaturgies of control, agency, and fiction on stage.