Theater bootlegs : discourses on access and class in theater fandom

This thesis contributes to the growing field of theater audience studies by focusing on a particular theater fan practice: recording and watching bootlegs. While scholars have extensively researched bootlegs of music concerts, bootlegs of theater have not been studied even though they are a crucial aspect of the contemporary theater fandom experience. This is a significant gap in understanding how audiences relate to theater, especially because theater as a medium is relatively expensive and inaccessible. This thesis frames bootlegs as filling a demand for greater access to professional theater and considers the political ramifications of their circulation. To this end, I examine the construction of theater as a “high class” medium and how prioritizing the “liveness” of theater contributes to its exclusivity. I examine how these conceptions of theater permeate the discourses of theater producers and performers who condemn the recording of bootlegs. Finally, a survey of the community of theater bootleg traders illuminates the tensions that currently exist for bootleg traders as they attempt to circulate bootlegs while avoiding unwanted attention from theater producers.