Theatre and networks

This chapter aims to provide an overview of the ways in which network theory and research have been applied to the theatre, from different points of view. The sociology of culture is the main perspective informing the chapter’s argument, in that the networks observed in the theatre end up being cultural networks through and through. The chapter focuses on three main areas: (1) artists and companies; (2) theatrical fields; and (3) plays and characters. For each area, some key empirical studies are considered in so far as they provide a view of the state of the art in the analysis of networks in the theatre. The chapter ends by discussing the relevance of these studies for understanding the theatre as a networked field and how research might move forward by highlighting the interplay between culture and networks in this form of art.