The Aesthetics of Awe, Meaning, and Pleasure

This thesis, The Aesthetics of Awe, Meaning, and Pleasure, examines how Canadian theatre can move beyond its reliance on linear, plot-driven narratives rooted in Aristotelian and well-made play traditions. By centering awe, meaning, and pleasure as primary aesthetic values, the research proposes an alternative framework for performance creation, training, and audience engagement. It challenges the dominant dramaturgical paradigms through an interdisciplinary, praxis-based approach that blends theoretical analysis with performance practice. Drawing on postdramatic theatre and notions of liveness, the study positions awe as a transformative affective experience that fosters humility, wonder, and deeper connection between artists and audiences. Pleasure is framed not as frivolous but as a generative, embodied response that can guide artistic impulse and subvert expectations of seriousness in theatre. Meaning emerges through the synthesis of these affective experiences in both performer and spectator. The research includes several case studies and performance experiments that put theory into action, demonstrating how experiential, immersive, and non-linear performance strategies can reimagine theatrical forms in Canada. It also addresses pedagogical implications, advocating for training models that support artistic risk-taking and non-traditional narrative development. Ultimately, this thesis argues that adopting awe, meaning, and pleasure as foundational aesthetic principles enables a richer, more innovative, and responsive theatre ecology. It offers both a critique of current institutional norms and a proposal for new artistic possibilities rooted in experimentation, presence, and joy.