Theatre And The Digital Convenience
The theatre was very different before contemporary technologies. Many technological elements — including lighting, sound systems, and microphones — are included onto the modern stage to enhance the viewing experience for audience members.
As technology has advanced, so has its influence on theatre, resulting in a more immersive experience for both artists and audiences. The theatre can affect production management, communication, rehearsals, sound and audio, lighting design, etc. with new technology.
Digital technologies provide theatre with new possibilities for communication, planning and interactive practices. I observed the rehearsal practices of actors who were performing in two different plays or doing other jobs besides theatre and the challenges in pre and post production practices. I studied how the actors practiced presence during rehearsal in a play and their challenges of rehearsing with several remote and interactive elements.
Research I conducted is within a close group of 32 theatre artists. More than 50% of them are in acting. The quantitative research focused mainly on the actors’ rehearsing experiences, particularly related to the challenges they are facing with schedule, daily commutes and the use of digital technology. The questions focused on the actors’ rehearsing practices and their strategies for communicating their role.
“Theatre is a sacred space for actors. You are responsible; you are in the driving-seat.” ~Greta Scacchi
In actors’ initial individual rehearsal in which they memorize scripts and practice by themselves, more than 50% prefer to do it alone time and 25% prefer commuting time for practice. We started observing when the actors and team got together. 81% of the artists enjoy reading in a group and in a meantime they refer using soft copies of the script.
Surprising insights were received from the survey that more than 50% facing issues while commuting for the rehearsals like delays in traffic, public transport and travel distance. And on top of that 82% think that they can miss the opportunities due to unavailability for rehearsals.
Digital technologies are extensively used in the context of artistic experiences and creative practices as they provide a multitude of possibilities for interactive performances combining video streaming with live jamming, management and for elements of audience interaction, both remotely or coming together.
Interviews were informal conversations, conducted during the process of the rehearsal practices and there was no prepared interview schedule except for observations made during rehearsals.
The broader aims to bridge interactive and mixed media performances through implementing digital technology on critical factors of theatre practices. Through surveys and informal conversations I would like to conclude with target areas of theatre where digital technology can play a big role to save cost, time and efforts and work efficiently together as a team. These are as follows
- Casting
- Teams Availability
- Scheduling
- Production Management
- Script Reading Sessions
- Rehearsals
“I believe that in a great city, or even in a small city or a village, a great theatre is the outward and visible sign of an inward and probable culture.” ~ Laurence Olivier
In all those years of evolution in performing art, theatre has its own journey and it still stands still with its traditional approach without losing the essence. Role of technology is just to enhance the experience and process, where design thinking can come into the picture to come up with better, empathetic solutions.
