The impact of methods and technics of representing reality on the production of truth in documentary theater by examining the works of Anna Deaver Smith

This research intends to analyze the relationship between the methods of representing social reality in documentary theater and its social impact by examining selected dramatic works of this genre. We look into two main things; first, how the methods and techniques of contemporary documentary theater, and specifically the works of Anna Deavere Smith, represent the issue of social justice, and second, how it is possible to suggest a standard criterion to evaluate and produce documentary works and dramas. To answer these, the documentary dramas written by Anna Deavere Smith will be examined as case examples. The analysis will be based on the theoretical approach of Alain Badiou, a contemporary theoretician in the field of philosophy, and ontology, and it is expected that based on the results of this research, the impact of the methods used in documentary theater, to represent the truth can be explained and analyzed. The approach of this research is descriptive, analytical, and interpretative, and the case examples are selected and analyzed, based on their importance and the methods used to represent social realities. By defining and describing documentary theater and its characteristics, this research reflects upon the possibilities of how this genre can represent social issues, using contemporary methods and technologies. In addition, the definition of standards and criteria are evaluated in documentary theater based on the successfulness to achieve the main goal, which is representing the truth. Anna Deavere Smith's works, taking into account the main task of documentary theater, that is the production of truth, has been able to produce truth in a stronger and more effective way based on Alain Badiou's views and his theory on the process of truth-procedure. To sum up, Anna Deavere Smith has successfully used verbatim technique in creating documentary dramatic works, and in providing dualities extracted from Badiou's theory and views. Another result that is observed in the analysis of Anna Deavere Smith's works is that with the passage of time, she has been able to be more successful in creating these dualities in her documentary plays. Therefore, through this study, it is suggested that Smith herself, has something similar to Badiou’s truth-procedure in mind, by using verbatim technique. The power of dualities of form has increased in her works, while the trend in content, has declined; reflective of her priority in writing. In general, Anna Deavere Smith has been more successful in creating a theatrical form of documentary. This research provides a “measurement criteria” to evaluate other documentary dramas, and a framework for making more successful documentary dramas in the future.