Digital Ethnography of Classical Theatre in the Context of Lifelong Learning: The Role of Dramaturgy in Intergenerational Education

This article presents a new theoretical framework termed “Intergenerational Theatrical Exchange Theory” (ITET) for understanding how classical theatre performance facilitates lifelong learning across generations. The framework synthesizes dramaturgical analysis, gift exchange theory, and digital ethnographic perspectives to create a comprehensive model for analyzing how classical texts, particularly Greek tragedy, serve as vehicles for intergenerational knowledge transfer in contemporary educational contexts. The scientific novelty of ITET lies in its integration of three previously separate theoretical domains: it extends dramaturgical analysis beyond individual performance to encompass collective intergenerational meaning-making; it reconceptualizes gift exchange as a multidirectional process of wisdom, innovation, and collaborative creation across age cohorts; and it positions digital technologies not merely as documentation tools but as active mediators of theatrical learning communities. Unlike existing lifelong learning theories that focus primarily on individual transformation or age-segregated educational models, ITET proposes that theatrical engagement with classical texts creates unique “liminal learning spaces” where generational boundaries become permeable and reciprocal learning occurs. The framework identifies five simultaneous performance frames (Classical, Educational, Generational, Biographical, and Digital) through which participants navigate their learning experiences. This theoretical contribution addresses the gap in current literature regarding how embodied cultural practices can be sustained and transformed across generations in digitally mediated contexts, offering implications for educational policy, theatrical pedagogy, and lifelong learning program design.