Staging the posthuman era in China: reimagining performing arts through robot, digital, and XR theatre

This extended abstract examines how contemporary Chinese theatre is reshaping its artistic boundaries by integrating posthuman concepts, robotics, digital avatars, and extended reality (XR) technologies. Drawing from my doctoral research, the study employs a qualitative case-study methodology to analyze three innovative productions: the robot-driven performance The City of Big Dumb Objects, a digital avatar-based Chinese opera project utilizing VR and motion capture, and an XR adaptation of Macbeth. These cases demonstrate the increasing agency of non-human performers and challenge conventional understandings of identity, embodiment, and the human–machine divide. The findings reveal that such technological interventions actively destabilize the distinctions between human and machine, physical and virtual spaces, and traditional versus futuristic aesthetics. By doing so, they establish a new critical framework for examining the convergence of technology and live performance. The study concludes that these advancements hold significant potential to redefine theatrical practice, ultimately transforming the creative dynamics among performers, audiences, and technological systems.