Falsifiable Theories for Theatre and Performance Studies

This essay argues that theatre and performance scholars should use theories that can be scientifically validated whenever possible. Scientists cannot arrive at objective knowledge, but through the process of falsification they can narrow their range of possible interpretations to provide explanations that best suit the evidence and counter the arguments of others. The cognitive sciences are now providing falsifiable explanations for many theatre and performance phenomena, such as attention, empathy, and conceptualization. In contrast, many of the theories current in our discipline, including those reliant on psychoanalysis and poststructuralism, are not open to the protocols of good science. On the basis of falsifiablity, the essay demonstrates the superiority of two theories from cognitive science over approaches current in our discipline with regard to the problem of how spectators understand theatrical doubleness and action on the stage. It also suggests that a-scientific theories can be useful for scholarship when they are in accord with good science and allow us to extend the range of our discussions and conclusions.