“Plays are considerations, in great part, about time and space and bodies in motion and at rest. If the play operates through virtuality in its essence and aesthetic governance, then how virtuality functions vis-à-vis our daily lives is necessary.”On writing a piece for the upcoming TimeWave festival, prolific American playwright Caridad Svich ponders the use of mediated reality in live art.
“We are cyborgs. Our 19th century and early 20th century ancestors were not…in drama and outside of drama.” ~Svich
* What does virtuality do to how we communicate?
* How present we are?
* How does absence function?
* How do we experience proximity and notions of distance?
What, in effect, becomes shared space? And who is sharing it - if we factor in the audience/viewer - and in what manner?
“These are questions I always ask when working in mediated mode. Be it with open texts or texts that seem on the surface more conventional in format.”
* How does the live body interact with virtual body?
* And with pre-recorded version of self, or the static photo of self on screen?
* How much is on screen/screened? And how much is present, embodied?
* What happens to voice(s) in mediation? Amplied? Unamplified? Altered?
For TimeWave 2013, Caridad Svich's "At the Edge of the World..." employs telepresence, or two or more actors in separate locations interacting in the same dramatic narrative.
While the lead character exists in London, the other characters or voices may beam in from other locations around the world – sometimes as voiced / seen figures videoconferenced in (via webcam). Sometimes the figures are silent. We merely "follow" / view / witness the lead character in London. Or it could be a combination of viewing and moving away from the camera with characters going about their daily lives. An audience may only see a fragment of where characters live - a desk, a wall, a poster on the wall, a bookcase, etc. (wherever the camera is positioned).
The staging also involves projections of Facebook messages and scrolling text. A webcam on "Him" miles and miles away can establish a "ghostly" presence on screen. "He" may never be heard but his presence is felt.
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Another piece, "Carpe Diesel," by David Simpatico revolves around three New York City ad copywriters who respond to the summer 2011 riots in London. It was first worked on by Justin Adams, Annika Boras, O-T Fagbenle, Katie Krane, Lauren Swann and Kett Turton - six RADA grads - with Simpatico at the Vineyard Arts Project on Martha's Vineyard. Simpatico created a video parody of an advertisement. In TimeWave, the American copywriters will be streamed in from LA. At the same time, a cacaphony of voices and commentary from London streets will be projected into the piece. |
Video to accompany David Simpatico's "Carpe Diesal." |
The TimeWave team looks forward to the plays as they’re being submitted by invited writers. Playwrights who have worked in traditional theatre are experimenting with new approaches to storytelling made possible by current technology.
When you use a new way of communicating, it can change the context and meaning of the communication. For example, the lingo that people use for SMS texting or Tweets can be quite different from the language used in emails. Do the different mediums engage unique modes of thought, feeling and action? When do these mediums intersect? Cross fertilize? Antagonize? As important is our ability to frame the questions regarding mediated reality and environments. When we compress, expand or fracture time and space, how does it impact human interaction and relationships? Is there virtue in this deconstruction or reconstruction?
For more information on Timewave, please visit timewavefestival.com.
~ LoNyLa grateful for the generosity of our supporters. ~
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