Title: "Visualizing a Play For the Preparation of Performance: Some Multi-media
Opportunities"
By: Wu, Pei-ying, Design Researcher, School of Arts and Communication, Faculty
of Arts and Architecture, University of Brighton
Keywords: visualization, performance, play
Abstract:
In the conventional process of theatrical productions, theatre practitioners often
learn the play through reading the script without further related visual references.
This process easily guides each participant into his/her own visions of the play.
The key leader of the production, however, needs to communicate very hard to address
the production into unity. Edward Gordon Craig (1872-1966), one of the most influential
figure in the 20th century theatre, stressed the importance of the oneness in
theatrical production in The First Dialogue. Later, the 1905 little book was published
in his book On the Art of the Theatre. He argued that "The Art of the Theatre
is neither acting nor the play, it is not scene nor dance, but it consists of
all the elements of which these things are composed." (Craig, 1956 p.138)
Also, he mentioned that there should be a key person who have studied and practised
all the crafts of the theatre. The stage-manager, in Craig's mind, could facilitate
a systematic progression that reforms the Art of Theatre (Craig, 1956, p.177).
As a theatre manager, a stage designer, a painter and a graphic designer, I have
been searching for ways that the visual quality can help in theatre production.
Visualizing a play is not only giving illustrations of the script text. It should
offer a synthetic learning process for theatre practitioners. I discover that
using new technology in visualization can offer practitioners a systematic progression
in total-aspect of a play. The visualization package therefore would contain informative
base for overall understanding of the play; for experiencing the performing environment;
and for sensing the insight of the play. In my project, I design an informative
multimedia CD-ROM, a foldaway 3D model and a set of board games. Informative multimedia
offers full critical gloss of the script both in visual and literary, the visual
acquaintance of performance environment, and historical background. After learning
the basics, theatre practitioners then experience physical performing environment
by operating the foldaway 3D model. Finally, playing board games will give the
feelings of how characters interacting in the play.
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