It doesn’t matter if the actor is a robot; the virtual context of art and theatre is a site where a “vibrant materialism” might offer useful insights on the status of the actor, the object, and especially the robotic object, in an expanded dramaturgy.

Robotic and virtual figures have become increasingly visible in live performance. How these figures/performative agents come into the discussion of dramaturgy is considered in reference to recent works by Hirata Oriza and Kris Verdonck.

In contrast to much new media performance, Kris Verdonck’s ACTOR #1 does not attempt to accelerate time or to enhance the spectatorial experience by juxtaposing theatrical elements. Instead the work presents a three-phase meditation that strips back the tools and techniques of theatre to allow, or perhaps even compel, spectators to focus on a single element, to inhabit one state, or to consider a single idea at a time.