This week, my main focus was on exploring additional stage performances incorporating new technologies in their design. Since Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are still relatively new mediums in classical theater, I dedicated my focus to them this week.
During my research, I came across the State Theatre Augsburg, which has developed an intriguing concept as the „5th department.“ With their Digital Theatre, they are experimenting with new forms of staging, aiming to make high-tech accessible. A key element in this initiative is the use of 500 VR goggles, not only within the auditorium but also available for loan nationwide in Germany and Austria. To foster a scientific exchange on the topic of digitization in theater, they launched the initiative theaterentzwerk.digital. The theater has already produced several pieces, which I will briefly discuss. 1
Elektrotheater:
Christian Schläffer and Daniel Stock created a VR experiment that can be experienced from the comfort of one’s sofa. Technically, it’s a multiplayer online game where the audience and artists appear as avatars, interacting live. The viewer goes through various scenarios, aiming to bring social interaction into the digital realm. Gesture communication with other viewers and direct interaction altering the space are key components. Playful instructions are given to the audience, guiding them through the space. 2
Shifting Perspective:
This involves the use of motion capturing. Two dancers perform short, specially created sequences around the viewer, playing with the distance between the dancer and the observer. Due to the 360-degree perspective, the viewer must rotate and set their own focus
Nikolai Gogol: The Employee – Diary of a Madman:
Here, holograms are used in the VR world
Orfeo ed Euridice (2020):
A combination of opera and VR using 500 VR goggles. The audience could put on the goggles during specific passages and immerse themselves in virtual reality while live music played
Another pioneer is the Royal Shakespeare Company, which uses technology as a means to an end. With their online live performance Dream (2021), they reached 65,000 interested individuals from 90 different countries. This form of theater has the potential to allow international plays to be viewed regardless of location and time. Dream was created due to theater closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The audience could open the Dream website on their mobile phones, laptops, or tablets and directly influence the performance in real-time, changing not only the movements of the artists but also the music. 3
The use of VR technology provides the audience with an immersive experience and the opportunity to dive into the stage’s world. However, how do artists experience this form of theater? They never see their audience, and the traditional applause at the end of the performance is absent. How might artists perceive this
The use of Virtual Reality in theater allows for intimacy through proximity and breaking free from one’s own four walls. This form of theater can reach a new audience, promote the concept of home theater, and actively involve the audience in the events. With VR in theater, gameplay takes center stage: How does the audience interact with the artists? How does the audience navigate through the space?
Sonne | Luft
Furthermore, I attended the play „Sonne/Luft“ at the Schauspielhaus Graz to explore the use of AI and large-scale projections in theatrical performances. During the play, I contemplated to what extent these new media support the narrative
Brief synopsis:
„From a spaceship in outer space, society looks down upon the dilapidated planet Earth. It is not only physically distant; its existence is also temporally in the past. As people on their journey attempt to preserve what has long slipped through their fingers—an untouched environment, genuine humanity—the irreversible consequences of the climate catastrophe unfold. Nature retaliates, indifferent to humanity’s demise.“ 4
Technologies used:
Almost the entire stage setup was placed on a rotating stage that constantly revolved, showcasing various rooms of a space station. Ninety-five percent of the action took place on this revolving stage, with only occasional glimpses into other spaces. A large-scale projection served as the backdrop, depicting the journey through outer space. AI was utilized in the creation of film material, presenting absurd scenes that accompanied the play’s themes. The film material was integrated into the stage design through additional screens. As a final medium, an iPad was incorporated into the performance, allowing for the selection of film material
Conclusion:
Time was significantly slowed down. The actors moved in almost slow motion, mirroring the rotation of the stage and the gradually changing background projection. The substantial slowing down of events both in content and visually manipulated the audience’s perception. The actual transformation was imperceptible until it was too late, and suddenly, the audience found themselves in an entirely different situation. Without a dynamic stage design, this gradual change would not have been possible.
Institutions
Staatstheater Augsburg – Digitaltheater
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