2022-01-112022-01-112021-122021-12December 2https://hdl.handle.net/2346/88697As Western culture becomes increasingly saturated with mediatized entertainment and art works, live theatre struggles to remain viable. Common approaches to staging theatrical productions give primacy to text, while the performance space is treated as a secondary (or tertiary) element that must be contended with in order to achieve the desired concept. Arguably, no texts are held in more reverence than those of Shakespeare. This dissertation explores productions of works of Shakespeare where space was given primacy alongside the text, allowing space to inform performance. Research was done with the goal of incorporating certain aspects of these productions into a staging of The Tempest in October of 2020. Shakespeare’s Globe in London provided insight into the impact of original architecture on the performance of Shakespeare’s texts, as did variations in set design within that architecture. Of special interest were the 2016 production of The Tempest directed by Phyllida Lloyd and produced by the Donmar Warehouse in London, and the New York installation of Punchdrunk’s immersive experience, Sleep No More. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new importance to these elements in the socially distanced and masked production of The Tempest. This production was staged throughout the museum and grounds of The Baker Arboretum and Downing Museum in Bowling Green, KY. COVID-19 restrictions necessitated that the production was also live-streamed, introducing the issue of mediatized performance and virtual spaces. The use of space as a tool to create meaningful proximity for in-person audiences, as well as the possible incorporations of mediatization to increase accessibility, and the challenges to presenting a work during a pandemic, are discussed in the final chapter.application/pdfengShakespeareImmersive PerformanceSite-Specific PerformancePerformance SpaceTheatreTheatre AudiencesTheatre ArchitectureThesis2022-01-11Access is not restricted.