Interactive Media in Immersive Performance

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Interactive Media in Immersive Performance

• ATHE 2007
• 7/26, 315-445pm
• Chair Stephen A. Schrum

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Interactive Media in Immersive Performance

• Lance Gharavi and Jacob Pinholster, Caridad
  Svichs Iphigenia
• David Saltz and V., Exploiting and Extending the
  Performative Potential of Second Life
• Stephen A. Schrum, A Proposed Taxonomy of
  Digital Performance

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Impetus Lance Gharavis comment There is no
  taxonomy.

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Lance Gharavis warning
• The real difficulty has not been in coming up
  with terms. That's pretty easy. Why, it's as
  easy as coming up with a definition of "theatre
  or "performance." The difficulty has been in
  getting everyone to agree on and use those terms.
  Email, August 18, 2006.

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• The presentation of this proposed taxonomy is to
  get us talking about common terms we may agree
  upon and adopt.
• However are the definitions of "theatre and
  "performance" that easy to determine in the
  digital world?

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• The taxonomy itself.
• Available online at www.musofyr.com/taxonomy/taxo
  nomy.pdf

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• TRADITIONAL
• Production methods that do not include any
  digital technology.

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• DIGITALLY-AIDED THEATRE
• Production methods include technology, but for
  pre-production includes computer-aided design
  for sets and lights, digital audio production,
  electronic communication
• Example Studio Zs Monologue Show (1995)
  distant playwrights communicate with directors
  and actors by email event is staged live.

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• DIGITALLY-ASSISTED THEATRE
• Technical elements are designed with or supplied
  by digital technology and are noticeably part of
  the performance.
• Includes computerized light board, digital sound
  elements (designed, recorded, and played back),
  projections these could be done by analog
  methods but work better with digital. (Example a
  15 minute sunrise lighting cue.)

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• MULTIMEDIA THEATRE
• Use of technology (though not necessarily
  digital) as part of the performance, in service
  to the play/production.
• Example In Medea, a reporter does a lead-in to a
  video clip of Jason speaking. (Performed at
  Pitt-Greensburg, March 2006.)

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• DIGITALLY-ENHANCED THEATRE
• Technical elements are designed with or supplied
  by digital technology and are part of the
  performance.
• Effects are produced live or rendered in real
  time (Dixon, 385) rather than canned,
  pre-recorded, or preset.
• Suggests interaction between technicians, actors
  and/or the technology.
• Example ieVRs The Adding Machine, (1995 Image
  from the Digital Performance Archive.)

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• CYBER-ADAPTED THEATRE
• Plays about cyberspace subjects, performed in
  Real Life (RL).

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• COMPUTER MEDIATED PERFORMANCE
• Performance happens through the computer screen.
  Interactivity is limited to preprogrammed
  responses. Responses may not influence or be
  perceived by performers.
• May be further subdivided into two areas

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• COMPUTER MEDIATED PERFORMANCE
• RL-ADAPTED PERFORMANCE
• Plays about real life (RL), performed in
  cyberspace.
• Example The Perm, written by Zayante Hegel,
  directed by Phorkyad Acropolis (performed in
  Second Life, July 13 and 14, 2007).

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• COMPUTER MEDIATED PERFORMANCE
• CYBERSPACE PERFORMANCE
• Plays created and set in cyberspace, and
  performed in cyberspace.
• Examples NetSeduction, written by Stephen Schrum
  (performed in ATHEMOO in 1996) Gestus, conceived
  by Stephen Schrum (to be performed in Second
  Life, August 2007).

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Interactive Holographic Theatre
• Full immersion in a virtual world.
• Full interaction with characters and objects.
• The use of the quotation marks indicates that it
  is something we dont yet have

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Two issues arise from creating this taxonomy
• Theatre vs. Performance
• The terms change when we enter the world of
  computer-mediation.

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Two issues arise from creating this taxonomy
• What is theatre and performance in the
  digital age?
• Does there need to be presence?
• Does the virtual or perceived performance that
  happens between actor and spectator change in
  mediated communication?

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Discuss!

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A Proposed Taxonomy of Digital Performance

• Sources
• Digital Performance Archive. http//ahds.ac.uk/ahd
  scollections/docroot/dpa/techsearch.do?techid5te
  chkeyWebsitestringD. Accessed July 21, 2007.
• Dixon, Steve. Digital Performance. Cambridge, MA
  The MIT Press 2007.