Influenced: Artistic Truthfulness in the Age of Social Media

The following thesis records the process of researching and creating a solo theatre show called Influenced. It is focused on the pursuit of artistic truthfulness in the face of fears of how the work might be interpreted according to rhetorical trends propagated on social media platforms. It documents an approach to truthful art-making loosely organized by philosopher Ken Wilber's four quadrant model of truth. It examines creation techniques that draw on truth from each quadrant: inner work and visioning; subjective, external reflections of the work in myth and stories; intersubjective, and natural structures; objective. It outlines two ways that research into social media's algorithms; interobjective truth, was applied practically to create the characters and environment of Influenced with the aim of dramatizing behaviors and events that happen online. It defines three components of artistic truthfulness and reflects upon how honouring truthful work can lead to creative success.