The Theatre Times: For me, as a director, it is important that the artistic idea and concept emerge from the story being told. Therefore, I approached this project with skepticism and curiosity: Which technological instruments might bolster the artistic concept? And in what ways? I see theatre as an analog room in which the members of the audience turn off their mobile phones and sit together concentrating on what is happening onstage.
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This is a fairly specific and anecdotal example of where I believe theatre is going as an industry, especially with regards to sound, lights, and media. Increasingly, pioneering productions are experimenting with two way interaction in these fields. Lights automatically follow actors wearing chips. Responsibility for triggering certain sound cues has moved from the sound playback op to the conductor to the actors to automatic triggering in response to the acting. Projections and media is increasingly interactive, adding various control surfaces and sensors to widen the range of conditions to trigger a wider range of effects. As this trend continues, it will have the effect not only of increasing precision in cue timing, but of allowing actors to act more freely, not worrying about timing for cues, and eventually allowing designers to design more specific, contingent, and detailed cues that create more immersive, realistic, and responsive environments, not only with sound, lights, and media, but also with props, set pieces, costumes, and even makeup.
Emerging technology has found its way into the theatre world. Artists around the world have been taught to experiment with the latest technology, or what we believe to be so. Ever since attending CMU SOD I have seen some of the most cutting-edge and “new” theatre that is available, and it is refreshing to see that others are doing the same. Even your old time directors who believe that theatre was already perfect without the tech are embracing this new era of theatrical art. I can't help but wonder if these people are willingly or forcibly conforming to this shift. Honestly, my take is, if the art is sending a positive message and is using these devices in a practical way everyone should enjoy it for what it is. Media and sound technology have yet to find their place in theatre and 21st-century artists are taking advantage of these resources to see how significant the impact is.
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