Performing Arts Criticism in the Web 2.0 era. Authoritativeness in a process of human/machine interaction: some initial thoughts

My paper deals with the role of performing arts criticism on the Web 2.0, encountered in blogs, web magazines and social media. The development of technological tools is favouring an easy access to Web platforms: a new cultural identity is conveyed through and within virtual communities where the debate is non-regulated and open to anyone. Confronting the philosophical and analytical background with the communication environment that is nowadays hosting the critical discourse, my intent is to show to which extent the freedom of publishing and sharing opinions is changing the fundamental categories of critical analysis in terms of language, relevance and management of authority and authoritativeness. So far, my research is based on the tools of mediology (Debray, 1994), analysing the current communication environment. The ecology of such environment is influencing the way artists and spectators look at the contemporary theatre, as well as the way it is experienced and narrated. Through the analysis of some aspects of the profound change introduced by the expanded access to digital writing, publishing process and wide sharing, my paper is aimed at isolating some basic concepts on which the battle for the role of criticism can be fought.