A man in a digital age: Digital world interpreted in J. Campos García’s theatre
The article conceptualizes the problem of the place and the role of technology in the life of humanity and its significance in today’s society. The analysis is based on the plays written in the 2000’s by Jesus Campos Garcia, one of the most beloved modern Spanish playwrights. Campos Garcia’s theatre is always closely linked to relevant socio-cultural problems and represents the playwright’s comprehensive introspection towards how specific the influence of modern technology – primarily digital technology – on modern life is; his self-consciousness. An exemplary work in this respect is his existential drama “Naufragar en Internet” (1999) followed by Campos Garcia’s essay “La tecnología como metáfora” (2004), in which, early into the era of active computerization he addresses the questions of the correlation between the real and the virtual; the influence of technology on everyday life and the opening up of possibilities; the existential fears and aspirations of humanity – the fear of non-existence, thirst for immortality, etc. – reflected in modern technology. The present topic is further developed in the playwright’s later works (“[email protected]” 2008; “...y la casa crecía”, 2016).