The last century has been witness to revolutionary innovations in theater technology. The tremendous advancements in this field have made the theater experience a more interactive one for the theatergoers. Digital theater is the latest trend in performing arts and can be classified as a form of hybrid art, as it demonstrates an amalgamation of the human aspect of theater and the surreal visualizations and sound effects made possible by digital technology.
History
The concept of media-rich performances has been around for a couple of decades. The 1980s saw the use of satellite technology, videos and fax machines as means of creating art. During the same period, the advent of personal computers opened up new horizons for performance communications. The technology boom continued in the 1990s as theater groups began collaborating with software and hardware companies for a more refined form of digital theater, which was helped by the invention of great projection techniques and the introduction of digital surround-sound for theaters and cinema.
Technologies
Today, digital theater makes use of the state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment. Computer animations are often part of the performances, and the term "desktop theater" is sometimes used for such performances. Similarly, laser beams are used for "digital dance" purposes, while fog and haze are used to create a full spectrum of color to enhance the digital experience. Virtual blacklight or ultraviolet (UV) light is used to excite fluorescent materials (like Day-Glo paint) to create special effects.
Microphones and digital mixing consoles have become essential in theater and contribute to a fully digital experience, along with other digital sound equipment like surround-sound. Care must be taken, though, to use these technologies in accordance with the storyline; the technology should compliment the artistic performance, rather than overshadow it.
Interactive Performances
Theater is essentially a form of communication. Live performers are what set theater apart from cinema. A digital theater provides a mix of live performance and digital experiences to its audience, where interactivity is at the core with help from animations and other digital aids such as laser and 3-D effects. This technology helps the audience more clearly understand the message being conveyed.
Larger Audiences
Digital theater is a great audience attraction due to its interactive and futuristic nature. In the United Kingdom, as part of a plan to screen live theater to viewers across the country, Racine's "Phedre" was broadcast to cinemas using satellite technology. The interactive nature of the play saw 50,000 people visiting the cinema to watch the play. Most people said they enjoyed the play as much or even more than the live audience present at the theater, and a majority wanted to attend such screenings again.
Misconceptions
The terms "digital theater" or "digital theater technology" sometimes refer to digital cinema, which is not correct, since "digital cinema" is a term used for motion pictures and media distributed through optical or hard drives. A digital theater performance, on the other hand, is essentially a live performance using technology where the audience and the performers share the same physical space.
Future
Digital theater not only provides endless opportunities for experimentation to the artists, it also has great potential as a revenue-generating source for the performing arts industry. Digital theater could prove to be the breakthrough required to reach a wider audience base.
