Shchanikova, N.M.

Background. Despite growing interest in the psychological aspects of art perception, empirical studies on this subject remain scarce in both Russian and international psychology. This is particularly true regarding theatrical perception.

Objective. This study examines the emotional-semantic score of audience perception through an analysis of P.N. Fomenko’s theatrical play “An Absolutely Happy Village”.

Study Participants. The study involved 50 audience members (74% female, aged 16–60: 46% 19–25 y.o.; 30% 26–45 y.o.; 18% 46–60 y.o.). Over half of the respondents (54%) held higher education degrees, while 30% had incomplete higher education. Participants demonstrated high theater engagement: 72% had attended performances more than twice in the preceding six months.

Methods. The research is grounded in L.S. Vygotsky’s conceptual approach to aesthetic response analysis and the distinctive nature of cathartic art experiences. The study employed: (1) comparative analysis of literary text and its theatrical interpretation; (2) an original anonymous questionnaire assessing theater engagement and play-specific perceptions; (3) a custom semantic differential-based tool measuring emotional responses to performance episodes.

Results. Findings reveal how stage interpretation facilitates audience engagement with existential themes. The audience’s emotional score emerges from a dialectic conflict between two affective dimensions: wellbeing vs. distress (reflecting the classical tragic “transition from happiness to misfortune”) and social acceptance vs. rejection of narrative events. Shifts in these “emotional-semantic melodies” stem from the director’s use of dual narrative sequencing in episode construction, enabling viewers to experience the complex emotional score of tragic catastrophe and catharsis.

Conclusions. The study findings contribute to understanding the psychological mechanisms of theatrical impact by revealing patterns in the formation of emotional-semantic perception of stage performances.