THEATRE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
SYMPOSIUM
The Digital Challenge of Theatrical Innovation
Cheryl Faver, artistic director of the Gertrude Stein Repertory Theatre (GSRT), will discuss the group's research into new forms of theater, represented by the Making of Americans project, and its implication for digital archiving and production documentation. GSRT's production research agenda includes developing innovative techniques for "stage animation", such as costumes for projection, 2D and 3D live animation interfaces, and computer-controlled movable projection systems. Gertrude Stein's seminal novel Making of Americans, as adapted by leading Stein scholar Leon Katz, is an ideal text for experimenting with new ways to represent narrative and character on stage. The production concept includes layering multiple animated images onto a live performer as a means of dramatizing Stein's fascination with character analysis. There are a number of opportunities and challenges that relate to digital archives. The design and production process generates hundreds of digital media files which must be selected, organized and sequenced in rehearsal and performance. In theory, these production elements can be directly uploaded into a performing arts database such as GloPAD, being developed at Cornell University. Challenges include maintaining archival discipline, supporting specialized multimedia formats for 2D and 3D animation, and documenting complex production techniques for other artists and scholars.
