This work investigates how the shift from traditional art objects to performance events necessitates a fundamental restructuring of aesthetic theory. Erika Fischer-Lichte, a prominent scholar in theatre and performance studies, utilizes historical analysis and phenomenological observation to argue that the performative event creates a unique mode of experience. By examining the collapse of boundaries between the performer and the spectator, she establishes a framework for interpreting art not as a static product, but as a dynamic, transformative process that influences broader social and cultural structures.

Scholars and students of theatre history frequently cite this text as a foundational contribution to the field of performance studies. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in aesthetic philosophy to fully synthesize the author's arguments.