Multiple Perspectives: Multimedia Technology Takes the Stage
Every day, new technological advances are changing the way we tell our stories on paper, on television, on the big screen, and even on the stage. But do these advances help live theater or hurt it? Within the industry, there’s an increasing divide for one side or the other. Regardless of who is right or wrong, the use of new technology is continuing to change theater as we know it. Today, multimedia and projection design are one of the biggest revolutions impacting stage design.
Several people are making strides in theater set design by utilizing these new technologies. In BBC’s article written by Dougal Shaw (2012), stage designer Timothy Bird describes how his team of designers and programmers are bringing multimedia innovation to the stage. Through the use of projection technology, Bird and his London-based team are creating unique set designs and set changes for the stage. His works can be seen in a variety of productions such as Pippin and Sunday in the Park with George (for which they won an Olivier award for Best Set Design in 2007). The most prominent figure in the realm of multimedia set design is William Dudley. With several awards under his belt and having worked on more than 60 productions in British theater, reception of Dudley’s work showcases the success that new technologies have brought to the stage. “I seek to make theatre as magical as cinema is,” he notes in the same article. “I always wince when people say that what I do is mere spectacle.”
But many critics of the use of technology see it as exactly that: “mere spectacle”. Bird remarks how his crew and many other aspiring designers are even being called “vidiots” by the community. Many directors, actors, theater critics, and several others have expressed their skepticism of technology’s increasing role on stage. They argue that the special effects are an evasive distraction to the live performances of the actors and actresses. An article on the Denver Post explores this conflict in 2010, as the Jones Theater began renovations to fully-integrate these technologies onto its stage. John Moore reflects on the attitudes of those skeptical of this new movement. “For every technological bell and whistle you layer onto a live performance, [purists] say, the more theater loses its uniqueness as an art form.” A particularly loud critic of multimedia on the stage featured in the same article is theater critic Matt Wolf. He warns about how technology can one day replace the power of imagination. Wolf also notes how there is no need for theater to emulate cinema.
Many designers are fully aware of these criticisms and are completely understanding of them. Timothy Bird as well as others in the field recognize that there are limits to what they can do with their art. Bird explains that an overusing the medium can put it at risk of becoming a gimmick. He stresses that the focus has and will always be in the performers. Charlie Miller, multimedia specialist of the Denver Center Theatre Company makes a similar note. “Does [the medium] eliminate our imaginations, or does it provide us even more opportunities to learn about distant places that we normally would never be able to see?” Miller asks. “Well, it kind of does both. But multimedia will never replace the pure theatrical form.”
Moore, J. (2010, October 31). Will a high-tech revolution bring curtain down on theater as we know it? The Denver Post. Retrieved March 5, 2016, from http://www.denverpost.com/ci_16461270
Shaw, D. (2012, March 27). Digital Drama: The technology transforming theatre. BBC News. Retrieved March 5, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17079364
