For Oudeis there are a number of considerations that make it different:
What are the tools being used to make theatre in this situation?
Not to sound pompous but to draw a comparison:
A painter considers the palette, the canvas and the brushes that are to be
used just as theatre people consider the tools and resources at their disposal.
What is the canvas for Oudeis? What are the tools being used and what are
their natures?
The Internet is one stage and an actual theater is another. Two audiences
are being addressed but with preference to the live audience. Live actors
and cyberactors.
The Internet is interactive. Use of a computer is interactive (this is what
makes it different than T.V.). Meaning that an audience might expect to
participate (role play). Lee's idea of having the audience play the main
character (Odysseus) is ideal for the Internet but then this might take away
from the live performance?
If a live audience were present watching a sole actor onstage would they
"get" the idea of Internet connections? Would the Internet really matter?
Meaning if they heard audio or saw lights change would it really matter that
this was being instigated from across the globe? For all they know someone
could be just randomly flipping lights in the lighting booth. Then, bringing
the technology onstage is one way to make the Internet quality of the show
apparent. The technicians then are characters in the story and the telling
of the story is affected by this presentation style. But couldn't they just
act out the role of technicians? - live theatre is very good at representation.
Another way to make the combination is through video conferencing.
Projections of actors with the live actor. Then the audience "gets" the feel
for the Internet component/element but then one could argue wouldn't video
do just as well? The live interaction would set it apart from just watching
a movie so this is a possibility.
Video monitors could also bring up images and websites from the Internet
that would support the action onstage? Some character selecting
images/websites or audience creating backgrounds?
If a live audience were in a computer lab with an actor in front then this
may be another way to combine live and cyberworlds. Each audience member
would have their own computer and the actor in front would somehow feed into
the presentation. Actors would appear on their monitors as well.
The effective combination of live theatre and the Internet is very tricky!
Dan