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Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens

This written explication serves as a frame to understand and generate a site-specific performance that is through a scenographic lens. Scenography as defined through The Cambridge Introduction to Scenography (McKinney & Butterworth, 2015), states that scenography is a vital part of performance....

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Main Author: Mizrachi, Daniella
Other Authors: Crewe, Jenni-lee
Format: Thesis
Language:Eng
Published: Little Theatre 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author Mizrachi, Daniella
author2 Crewe, Jenni-lee
author_browse Crewe, Jenni-lee
Mizrachi, Daniella
author_facet Crewe, Jenni-lee
Mizrachi, Daniella
author_sort Mizrachi, Daniella
collection Thesis
description This written explication serves as a frame to understand and generate a site-specific performance that is through a scenographic lens. Scenography as defined through The Cambridge Introduction to Scenography (McKinney & Butterworth, 2015), states that scenography is a vital part of performance. By focusing on the scenographic elements of space, time and scenic environment, an understating of site-specific performance can be constructed. These elements are vital in the comprehension of space, they create a language to understand how to intervene in a chosen site of performance. The question posed is how do we create in these spaces? What vocabulary and techniques are required to be able to intervene scenographically? By engaging with the concept of hauntology as defied by Nicholas Abraham and Maria Torok, where spectres of the past linger through generational trauma and must be acknowledged to move forward, scenographic intervention into site-specific spaces engages and creates alongside a spectre of the past. The visual and audible techniques of palimpsest and polyphony, aid in the scenographic construction of sitespecific intervention. Palimpsest, originally located in literature as a way to reuse books and paper, ink would stain the pages which would create a ghostly effect and signify the presence of the author. The visual application of palimpsest, of a ghostly trace is how a production visually might be structured, a presence in absence, signifying the past in the present. Polyphony although originating in music, is another way to layer and structure a language or soundtrack that accompanies a site-specific intervention. By engaging with polyphony as the complexity of sound and layering phrases of voices and music to create a polyphonic soundtrack to our spaces of performances or our heritage sites as performance spaces. By using the frame of hauntology as a way in which to confront and understand how these spaces can affect both performance and spectator, we acknowledge the past and work alongside it in the present. This practice-based explication serves as a guide to understanding and engaging with a site-specific work set within a heritage site.
format Thesis
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language Eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:35.974Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher Little Theatre
publisherStr Little Theatre
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41119 Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens Mizrachi, Daniella Crewe, Jenni-lee Drama This written explication serves as a frame to understand and generate a site-specific performance that is through a scenographic lens. Scenography as defined through The Cambridge Introduction to Scenography (McKinney & Butterworth, 2015), states that scenography is a vital part of performance. By focusing on the scenographic elements of space, time and scenic environment, an understating of site-specific performance can be constructed. These elements are vital in the comprehension of space, they create a language to understand how to intervene in a chosen site of performance. The question posed is how do we create in these spaces? What vocabulary and techniques are required to be able to intervene scenographically? By engaging with the concept of hauntology as defied by Nicholas Abraham and Maria Torok, where spectres of the past linger through generational trauma and must be acknowledged to move forward, scenographic intervention into site-specific spaces engages and creates alongside a spectre of the past. The visual and audible techniques of palimpsest and polyphony, aid in the scenographic construction of sitespecific intervention. Palimpsest, originally located in literature as a way to reuse books and paper, ink would stain the pages which would create a ghostly effect and signify the presence of the author. The visual application of palimpsest, of a ghostly trace is how a production visually might be structured, a presence in absence, signifying the past in the present. Polyphony although originating in music, is another way to layer and structure a language or soundtrack that accompanies a site-specific intervention. By engaging with polyphony as the complexity of sound and layering phrases of voices and music to create a polyphonic soundtrack to our spaces of performances or our heritage sites as performance spaces. By using the frame of hauntology as a way in which to confront and understand how these spaces can affect both performance and spectator, we acknowledge the past and work alongside it in the present. This practice-based explication serves as a guide to understanding and engaging with a site-specific work set within a heritage site. 2025-03-05T13:38:19Z 2025-03-05T13:38:19Z 2024 2025-03-05T13:13:45Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41119 Eng application/pdf Little Theatre Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Drama
Mizrachi, Daniella
Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens
title_full Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens
title_fullStr Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens
title_full_unstemmed Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens
title_short Exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest, polyphony, hauntology, and site-specific, through a scenographic lens
title_sort exploring theatrical conventions and the application of palimpsest polyphony hauntology and site specific through a scenographic lens
topic Drama
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41119
work_keys_str_mv AT mizrachidaniella exploringtheatricalconventionsandtheapplicationofpalimpsestpolyphonyhauntologyandsitespecificthroughascenographiclens