welcome in discussion,
At 09:12 01.11.96 -0600, Nina LeNoir wrote:
>I have a question about the audience that, from reading the posts and the
>home page, is not clear (perhaps I just missed it? :> ) Who and where is
>the audience? Are there live people at each site? Is the audience only
>on-line? Can audience members interact with each other at all? (If live,
>obviously they can--although one audience may not be able to interact with
>another). If only on-line, can they communicate with each other, for
>instance, through the chat screen of CUSEEME?
>
Thank you Dan and Lee for answering this important question. I have to take
care of the websites again - to have this point cleared there. Because this
is one aspect of the making of our play, that we include live audience AND
cyber audience. I think at the recent status the live (RL) audience is even
more important than the cyber audience. Part of that is because we still do
not know how the interface of the cyberaudience will look like.
We are talking about tools used for the performance of oudeis:
Nina points out the unability of making theater with CuSeeme software, like
seen in recent online performances.
I totally agree with you!
We still do not have the bandwith to transport videos in a satisfying way
- and the response to the videos is even slower, so I can not see these
attempts as examples for live and interactive performances.
I also like Dans description of the difference between computer and TV.
At 18:00 01.11.96 -0600, Dan Zellner wrote:
>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?
Lets leave the aspect of interactive TV aside (this is the "newest idea"
here in Europe - I presume you know this for years in the states?) There is
another point that strikes me: does the audience not play a role in EVERY
performance. Like you call them Gods, I do not only think of them paying
bills - I also think of the audience as you said, the part that gives the
birth to the performance.
Thats a role I assume that every director has to work out. Even some
scripts write this role out but thats not common I think.
What I want to say with this (because I think you all know that) is that
there CAN be more interactivity and participation of the audience in an
internet theater play but there HAS NOT be more than in traditional
theater. But one should never forget that without interactivity of the
audience there is NO THEATER at all.
Some examples come to my mind. I think of "Crosswaves" for instance. Cat
Hebert performed his "chat theater" in ATHEMOO (some of you might have seen
that) and in the following discussion and actor pointed out that he hadnt
_felt_ the audience...
>I think the audience is always in control, since they can always turn the
>performance off, or leave. I would worry if there is no concentration on
>the audience, for without an audience is there really a performance? Of
>course, it can be argued that the other actors are also a form of audience.
may I quote you :)
>The director in me keeps wondering what the audience experience is going to
>be. What will they get from attending?
Well, ....
Thats a tricky question and Dan is exactly right with:
>The effective combination of live theatre and the Internet is very tricky!
and I would like to emphasize one point
>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.
>
Well, can somebody answer this questions?
I would say our task is on one hand (as Lee describes it in a very good way)
to establish aplay with dramatic impact for live audience and actors on the
stages
and on the other hand
bringing technoloy on stage as well - that would mean giving the audience
(cyber and RL) the feeling that they are part of an event that is ongoing
worldwide at the moment
uff, I just also tried to get these points clear for me in some way
Mon
------------------------------alles Theater--------------
Monika Wunderer wunderer@st1hobel.phl.univie.ac.at
++ 43 (1) 892 35 20
http://st1hobel.phl.univie.ac.at/~wunderer/
http://iguwnext.tuwien.ac.at/~oudeis/