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Open research questions in Theatre and Performance Studies

554 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 5,952 Theatre and Performance Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The paper identifies challenges related to understanding the dynamics between language use and ethnicization in a specific Finnish context. The challenges include the complexity of characterological metadiscourses and the need for nuanced analysis of discourse data.

    Alternative spaces of encounter: Characterological metadiscourses and ‘joint voice’ in Finnish multi-ethnic inclusive theater · 2024 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in understanding the dynamics between language use and ethnicization in a specific Finnish context. The gap is related to the lack of research on how multi-ethnic, community-inclusive theater projects construct 'alternative' discursive spaces for social interaction.

    Alternative spaces of encounter: Characterological metadiscourses and ‘joint voice’ in Finnish multi-ethnic inclusive theater · 2024 · DOI

  • Despite the growing importance of technological transformation in cultural institutions, the existing literature provides limited evidence regarding the factors constraining the implementation of next-generation technologies in theatres.

    The Importance of Implementation Constraints for Next-Generation Technologies in Theatres · 2026 · DOI

  • Ohio: Ohio State University Press), there remains uncertainty about what a decolonised curriculum in South Africa entails and how it should be taught.

    Learn unlearn Relearn: a popular participatory theatre approach to decolonising pedagogy in South Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • While much scholarship has addressed the novel’s humor—how it makes readers laugh—the laughter of characters has been underexplored.

    Laughing through the Mask in Invisible Man · 2024 · DOI

  • Further research can explore the application of puppetry to other art forms. The study's findings can be used to inform the development of new puppetry performances. Future research can examine the impact of puppetry on the audience's perception of 'self' and 'other'.

    Manipulation and Animation: Theatrical Construction of the Relationship Between "Self" and "Other" in Puppetry Performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the relationship between 'self' and 'other' in puppetry performance. The study aims to fill this gap by exploring the construction of this relationship.

    Manipulation and Animation: Theatrical Construction of the Relationship Between "Self" and "Other" in Puppetry Performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The translation and study of classical Sanskrit aesthetic theories remain an almost uncharted territory. Advancing substantive comparative studies between Nuo xi and Indian forms like Kutiyattam would be challenging.

    A Comparative Study of Dejiang Nuo Xi, Youyang Masked Yang Xi, and Indian Sanskrit Drama · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the challenge of understanding the psychological mechanisms involved in mourning and how people deal with loss. The study highlights the challenge of recognizing and addressing the emotional cost of silence and the urgent need for recognition, healing, and social change.

    GRIEF IN PHILIP RIDLEY'S VINCENT RIVER · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of how personal grief is intertwined with broader societal issues. The study highlights the need for a comprehensive exploration of the impact of loss, guilt, and memory in Vincent River.

    GRIEF IN PHILIP RIDLEY'S VINCENT RIVER · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research on the application of micro-spatial dramaturgy in various performance contexts. Investigation of the role of spatial intimacy in shaping audience reception. Exploration of the potential of Bedroom Theatre to create immersive and intimate performances.

    From Three Acts to Bedroom Minutes: Micro-Theatre Compression and Bedroom Theatre as a Micro-Spatial Method of Intimate Performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of attention to spatial constraint in short-form theatre research. The need for a method-based practice that can be applied across scripts and contexts.

    From Three Acts to Bedroom Minutes: Micro-Theatre Compression and Bedroom Theatre as a Micro-Spatial Method of Intimate Performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between formal legal equality and equality in practice is identified. The need to analyze systemic inequality and gendered oppression is highlighted.

    The Quest for Social Justice against Oppression in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Arden City · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research could explore the impact of the play on contemporary debates about Tipu Sultan. Further research could analyze the play's use of historical documents and multiple narrative voices.

    The Dream of Tipu Sultan as a Postcolonial and Historical Play: A Critical Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The play addresses the gap in historical representation by challenging colonial historiography. The play fills the gap in postcolonial literature by providing a nuanced portrayal of Tipu Sultan.

    The Dream of Tipu Sultan as a Postcolonial and Historical Play: A Critical Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in Schiller's definition of art in relation to theatrical performance. The paper notes that the theatrical phenomenon constitutes a limit case for Schillerian aesthetics.

    Hacia una fenomenología del cuerpo teatral: Estilística, hiperestesia y suspensión del cuerpo vivido · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of promoting social support and well-being among seniors. The challenge of developing community-based programs that meet the needs of seniors. The challenge of evaluating the effectiveness of such programs.

    Acting for a Change: Using Psychodrama to Enhance Spontaneity, Connection, and Change in the Development of a Senior Improvisational Group · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the availability of arts programs for seniors, who are often underserved and underrepresented. The paper identifies a need for community-based programs that promote social support and well-being among seniors.

    Acting for a Change: Using Psychodrama to Enhance Spontaneity, Connection, and Change in the Development of a Senior Improvisational Group · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a need for exercises that enable groups to co-create their own communal dream of an ideal world. The paper highlights the importance of exploring internal and external factors that influence current attitudes and behavior.

    Enacting God’s Dream · 2026 · DOI

  • I believe sociodramas that invite diverse groups to co-create and enact shared dreams could yield quite positive results. Well-conceived and directed exercises that bring together ethnically heterogeneous groups could reveal our shared human aspirations as participants contribute to fashioning and enacting their common dream. The shared dream process can also help unearth underlying biases, misunderstandings, and antagonisms that can be addressed honestly and respectfully through action and reflection within the context of how the group might actualize its common vision of possible futures. I have directed this drama with individual groups whose members’ ages have ranged from their late teens to early 80s as well as with groups of Christians, Jews, and adherents of both faiths. While I most often work with faith-based or spiritually oriented groups, I believe this drama could be successfully adapted for a wide range of audiences. In communal, civic, or even business settings, the warmup could be focused more intentionally toward nontheistic selections similar to ‘‘The Merger Poem’’ and ‘‘Imagine’’ or toward articulated visions of hopeful futures particularly germane to the specific group. As we know, the participants are ultimately the ones who fashion, enact, and reflect upon the vision they cocreate. In 1969 the noted dream researcher, Jeremey Taylor, developed a volunteer retraining exercise to overcome ‘‘liberal racism’’ as part of his work with Unitarian Universalist Project East Bay. He offers the following reflection on the program of projective group dream sharing he introduced into that Northern California training: as soon as sharing dreams became a focus of our shared attention, people suddenly became much more interested in, and respectful of each other. (Taylor, 1989) His observation parallels my own experience when directing Enacting God’s Dream. The drama amplifies the interest participants have in what prompted their fellow enactors’ behaviors and their own characters’ responses. It also heightens their respect for the host of apparent and underlying factors that help to fashion our aspirations and interactions. As one enactor during the above described drama l D o w n o a d e d f r o m h t t p: / / m e r i d a n a. i l l e n p r e s s. c o m / j / p s g p a r t i c e - p d l f / / / / 6 6 1 1 0 5 2 4 7 3 3 3 0 1 8 - 0 0 0 1 5 _ 1 p d. / f b y a s g p p @ a s g p p o r g o n 2 4 A p r i l. 2 0 2 4 Enacting God’s Dream 111 observed, Enacting God’s Dream reminds us that the inclusive circle of our common humanity ‘‘needs to continually grow.’’ REFERENCES Garcia, A. (2010). Healing with action methods on the world stage. In E. Leveton, Healing collective trauma using sociodrama and drama therapy. New York, NY: Springer. Garcia, A. (2017, August 4–5). Sociodrama directing skills: A two-day intensive. Monroe Township, NJ.

    Enacting God’s Dream · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the application of Wiener's Dramaturgic Model. The use of a subjective genogram and dramatic role-play is presented as a means to address this gap.

    The Subjective Genogram: An Action Therapy Tool for Family of Origin Work · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of bridging the gap between psychodrama and theater. It highlights the differences between Moreno and Williams' approaches. The paper notes the challenge of understanding the creative process.

    Psychodrama and Theater: If J. L. Moreno and Tennessee Williams Were to Meet · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research can be conducted on the application of postdramatic aspects to other avant-garde productions. The paper's findings can inform future studies on the development of new directing methods and aesthetic aspects of theatre.

    Postdramatic Tendencies in Czech Avant-Garde Theatre: Reconsidering the Case of Director Emil František Burian and His Production of "May" (1935) · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of Burian's production May (1935) as a post-dramatic phenomenon. The work recognizes the need for a new interpretation of the production.

    Postdramatic Tendencies in Czech Avant-Garde Theatre: Reconsidering the Case of Director Emil František Burian and His Production of "May" (1935) · 2026 · DOI

  • The concept of manual cinema is under-theorized despite increasing scholarly interest in convergence theatre and media. There is a lack of analysis of the original concepts of manual cinema implemented by Polish artists and collectives.

    Manual Cinema: A Unique Hybrid of Shadow Theatre and Cinematic Practices · 2026 · DOI

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554 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 5,952 Theatre and Performance Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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