This study is set against the backdrop of the rising “experiencing” of the performance market and the increasing demand for audience interactivity. A comparative framework of “movement – information – participation” is proposed to systematically contrast immersive and traditional theaters. Unlike environmental theater and participatory theater, immersive theater is defined as “world-building + multi-sensory space + controlled audience agency”. Traditional theater relies on proscenium stages and linear narratives, with relatively low audience participation. In contrast, immersive theater employs decentralized spaces, node based and looped narrative structures, and multi-sensory orchestration. Audiences shift from “spectators” to “participants”, significantly enhancing in-situ intensity and individualized experiences. The differences are validated through a comparison of Sleep No More and A Handful of Sour Jujubes. This study also identifies four structural contradictions in immersive theater: narrative focus versus free exploration, safety versus atmosphere, immediacy versus labor intensity, and local replication versus data ethics. To address these contradictions, corresponding strategies are proposed: must-see scenes and time-limited segments, gentle guidance with hard constraints, information redundancy with staggered replays, zoned-looped-evacuation safety layouts, looped routes with substitute configurations, and modular scripts with minimal data use. Finally, a translation method for creation and teaching is proposed, consisting of “one principle, two mechanisms, three indicators, and four safeguards”. Its core aim is to maintain a dynamic balance between immersion and interactivity while ensuring aesthetic generation and sustainable production.
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Share and Cite
Hua, S. (2025) Immersive Theater and Traditional Theater: A Comparative Study of Audience Experience Structures and Its Practical Implications. Journal of Social Development and History, 1(4), 21-30.