An Examination of the Media Characteristics of Theater through Media Theory: Focusing on the Theories of Marshall McLuhan and Walter Ong

This study defines theater as a form of media in the multimedia era of the 21st century and analyzes the changes in sensation and perception as well as the implications for existence through the media theories of Marshall McLuhan and Walter J. Ong. McLuhan defined media as a major factor in changing the way we feel and perceive, and recognized it as a major driver of society and culture, while Ong built a theory of human thought, feeling, and existence through his research on the oral nature of language and the literal nature of writing and printing. As a reflection of human history and culture, theater has changed its form and function, as well as the way it is sensed and perceived, with the development of media. This paper first examines McLuhan’s theory of media as an extension of the human senses, drawing a distinction between hot media and cool media through his argument that media are categorized and perceived according to the senses. Then each concept is summarized through Ong’s view of media centered on orality, culture, and presence. Based on the above theoretical background, we examine the changes in the form and sensation of theater as influenced by media, including oral, written, printed, and electronic technologies. In the process, we examine the connection between media and theater through Hans Thies Lehmann’s argument of dividing theater into texts and summarize the theater and culture of each period. The, through Ong’s concepts of linguistic presence and presence in theater, we summarize the media conditions of theater and also summarize the concept of presence in contemporary theater. Through this paper, we hope to contribute to the continuous observation of the changes of theater in the media environment and to the study of the cultural and artistic values of contemporary theater.