Medieval Ballads in Miniature and Our New Gold: Collaborative Theatre Projects in the Digital Era (original) (raw)
Related papers
Antemortem: Collaborative Research in Theatre and Performance Studies
Global Performance Studies, 2021
Why Collaborate? The collaborative turn in labour has, in recent years, reconfigured the workplace and workforce to maximise resources: time, space, and infrastructure are shared in a bid to "humanise profit." Open offices, cloud documents, multi-tasking, and distributed management: all are trademark characteristics of shared labour in the early 21st century. As theatre and performance scholars, we are often incredulous of this turn. Not least because sharing time and space in the act of labouring is, perhaps, an obvious point in any material analysis of performance, but also because our performative analytic tools provide us with the insights necessary to appreciate that collectivity does not necessarily mean solidarity. Artist collectives and collaborative labour frequently function at various points along the spectrum between shared autonomy and unwilling acquiescence. And yet, in the arts there is a persistent tendency to think in terms of genius and singular artistic voice. And, so we should ask again, even when our object of study is-and has historically been-collaborative in nature: why do we remain professionally obsessed with becoming singular voices?
Editorial: Ancient Theatre in Performance: Contemporary Electronic Initiatives
Didaskalia: Ancient Theater Today, 2005
This Editorial to Volume 6, Issue 2 of Didaskalia: Ancient Theater Today (Summer 2005), reviews contemporary electronic initiatives “that are rapidly changing how we study ancient theatre in performance, and indeed how we create new antiquity-related artworks and events”. It introduces contributions by: Mark Childs on the ARCHES Project; Lorna Hardwick on the Open University's Reception of the Texts and Images of Ancient Greece project; Platon Mavromoustakos and Gregory Ioannides on the European Network of Research and Documentation of Performances of Ancient Greek Drama and its database; Amanda Wrigley on the Database of Modern Performances of Ancient Drama at the University of Oxford; Carl Mueller on the Perseus Digital Library; Tom Donegan on the Lysistrata Project and the digital publication strategy of playwright Charles (‘Chuck´) Mee; Drew Baker and Martin Blazeby on their 3-D digital visualisations of the Theatre of Pompey in Rome and of the visual evidence for Roman temporary stages; Richard Beacham and Peter Eversman on the Theatron Project, “containing extensive information and real-time navigable 3D digital reconstructions” of historic theatre spaces; Craig Morrison and Monty McKeand on electronic learning resources for teachers and students of Ancient Greek Theatre; Tom Hines on his creation of virtual tours of historical theatres using photographic panoramas. The Editorial concludes with a discussion of “Visualisation and Performance Documentation”, an abridged and adapted version of Denard’s 2004 article, “Performing the Past: The Virtual Revolution in Performance History”, in which he argues that 3D digital simulations represent a significant departure in performance documentation, in contrast to text, depictions or recordings, because they give user-readers a direct, sensory experience of those elements of performance—space, time, sound, lighting, scenography and movement—that are experienced, directly and sensorily, by an audience.
Practices of Collaboration in Early Modern Theatre: Authors, Actors, Printers, Playhouses, and Their Texts - Susanne Gruss & Lena Steveker - International conference, 02-04 December 2021, Université du Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Staging medievalisms : touching the Middle Ages through contemporary performance
2013
This dissertation would not have been possible without the assistance of a number of talented and generous individuals to whom I owe thanks. First, I'd like to thank my advisor, Dr. Charlotte Canning for her invaluable advice and guidance throughout the dissertation process as well as over the course of my graduate studies. Her enthusiasm for the project and continual curiosity about the Middle Ages helped me through a number of difficult moments. Next, I would like to acknowledge the continual support and assistance of Dr. Daniel Birkholz. Dr. Birkholz has been a mentor and source of inspiration from the beginning of my work on the dissertation, and it was his "Fictions of Medievalism" class that turned on the lightbulb which ultimately led to this project. I would also like to thank my other committee members, Dr. Paul Bonin Rodriguez, Dr. Deborah Paredez, and Dr. Joni Jones (Omi Osun), for their time and wisdom. Their methodologies have greatly shaped the scholar I have become. I also owe thanks to a number of theatres and archives. In particular, the archivists at England's National Theatre and Helen Hargest of the Royal Shakespeare Company were very generous in their time and assistance. I would also like to thank the staff of the Billy Rose Collection of the New York Public Library for allowing me access to archival Broadway footage. Thanks are also due to the numerous patrons who allowed me to interview them at Disneyland, Medieval Times, and the Renaissance Faire, who let a stranger ask them questions about the Middle Ages. Also in this group are Alicia Atkinson and Kelly Milbourn, both of whom housed me on research trips to California and accompanied me in the field (although I suppose that Disneyland and the Renaissance Faire are not exactly hard sells). A special thanks here to Lizzy Craze, one of my oldest and closest friends and loudest supporters, even from half a country away. My CHAPTER 1: "We Are Seeing What We've Seen Before:" Introducing Affective Medievalism and Performance "We ask ourselves why and how the Middle Ages are presented in such an indeterminate, 'inaccurate' manner. Whom and what does this floating signifier serve, either consciously or unconsciously?" Anke Bernau and Bettina Bildhauer, Medieval Film "This story shall the good man teach his son… From this day to the ending of the world, [And] we in it shall be remember'd." William Shakespeare, Henry V In 2012, the History Channel premiered a new series, Full Metal Jousting, in which sixteen contestants don updated versions of medieval armor and practice what the Channel calls "the most dangerous collision sport in history." Viewers of the highly dramatic series watch as contestants compete for a $100,000 prize. Both the History Channel's website and the episodes themselves include information about medieval jousting and tournament practice, usually highlighting the danger inherent in armed men riding at each other on horseback. The website, for instance, details the story of King Henry II of France's 1559 demise: "he received a fatal wound when a sliver of his opponent's lance broke off and pierced him in the eye-a fatal event some believe to have been prophesied by none other than Nostradamus" (history.com). The show capitalizes on the spectacle of modern bodies in medieval-style peril, promising viewers excitement derived from fourteenth-century practice. Medieval enthusiasts do not have to audition for a spot on the History Channel to explore medieval battle practice, however. The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an international organization founded in Berkeley, California in 1966, invites its members to experience "the current Middle Ages" through "active participation in the learning process. To learn about the clothing of the period, you research it, then sew and wear it 1 Renaissance Fairs are known by a variety of names. Some style themselves "Faires," while others are called Medieval (or "Med") Fairs or Faires. Here and throughout, I use the term "Fair" to refer to the phenomenon in general, and "Faire" when referring specifically to the attraction known as the "Renaissance Pleasure Faire" in California. 2 According to SCRIBE, an online self-described Renaissance Faire Information network: scribe.faire.net. 3 company's website entices potential ticket buyers with the promise that "inside the stone walls of our 11th century-style castle, Medieval Spain comes to life as six knights, donning authentic armor, clash in a jousting tournament for the title of King's Champion." Once inside the Medieval Times "castle," guests encounter exhibitions of medieval-style jousting and falconry alongside soft drinks, draft beer, and souvenir stands staffed by costumed workers happy to accept credit cards. Patrons are invited to tour the company's construction of the Middle Ages as they would an actual medieval castle in Europe. The company's advertising rhetoric indeed suggests that a visit to one of the nine Medieval Times castles throughout North America allows access to "medieval Spain" for anyone who can afford the price of admission. By contrast, a number of video games offer the Middle Ages to consumers who would rather experience the past from the comfort of their living rooms. World of Warcraft, for example, the 2001 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from Blizzard Entertainment, takes place in a medieval fantasy space and relies upon a number of familiar elements from the Middle Ages, including plated armour and an outbreak of the Black Plague. In 2012, the game boasted over 10 million subscribers. 3 Players create digital avatars which they maneuver through the quasimedieval landscape, often teaming up to accomplish quests or battle foes. The 2011 Electronic Arts game The Sims Medieval is also avatar-driven. Like other life-simulation ("Sims") games which allow players to control entire communities of characters, Sims Medieval facilitates the creation of a complete and insular world. Unlike the other Sims games, however, Sims Medieval includes the option to complete quests, thereby forming a narrative link to medieval quests like those of King Arthur and his knights. In an interview with gamespot.com, Sims Medieval Executive Producer Rachel Bernstein 3 According to the gaming news website IGN.com
Shakespeare and Digital Performance in Practice
2022
Shakespeare and Digital Performance in Practice explores the impact of digital technologies on the theatrical performance of Shakespeare in the twenty-first century, both in terms of widening cultural access and developing new forms of artistry. Through close analysis of dozens of productions, both high-profile and lesser known, it examines the rise of live broadcasting and recording in the theatre, the growing use of live video feeds and dynamic projections on the mainstream stage, and experiments in born-digital theatre-making, including social media, virtual reality, and video-conferencing adaptations. In doing so, it argues that technologically adventurous performances of Shakespeare allow performers and audiences to test what they believe theatre to be, as well as to reflect on what it means to be present—with a work of art, with others, with oneself—in an increasingly online world.
Performance During Pandemic – Shakespeare and Covid ( Abstracts )
2022
This paper will consider online performances of Shakespeare in lockdown. My focus will be on the new performance opportunities offered during the pandemic, in particular how interactive, immersive digital theatre affords audience members autonomy and control over their viewing experience. Creation Theatre’s 2021 production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Natasha Rickman, offered a hybrid approach to digital theatre, placing live theatre performed via Zoom alongside pre-recorded ‘choose your own adventure’ style gameplay via a website. Audiences pledged allegiance to either the Montagues or Capulets and joined their chosen family on a Zoom call ahead of the Capulet Ball. Through audience polls and breakout rooms, audience members acting collectively could influence the production, watching choices made play out in real time. Following his death, Mercutio then took on the role of Fate, inviting the audience to be ‘Such stuff as dreams are made on’ and guide Romeo and Juliet’s journey...
Notes from the Frontier: Digital Scholarship and the Future of Theatre Studies
Theatre Journal, 2015
The current landscape of digital humanities contributions to theatre studies contains many projects (four of which I review here) that point toward how the digital humanities will impact our field. To my knowledge, this is the first piece in an academic theatre journal to review digital scholarship. If digital projects are to be a major part of theatre studies, then it is essential that we as a scholarly community create dedicated space to review these digital humanities products alongside more traditional kinds of research output. In 2014, the ATHE–ASTR Joint Subcommittee on Non-Print Book Publishing released its white paper, “The Value of Electronic Publishing for Scholars in Theatre and Performance,” which called on the field to expand criteria for tenure and promotion to “include peer-reviewed electronic publications of substantial research projects on a par with print publications.” In order to facilitate this peer-review process, the subcommittee recommended that “journals represented by our scholarly organizations . . . should devote space to peer review of digital scholarship in addition to book review sections.” This essay responds to this call and represents an initial attempt to consider born-digital theatre scholarship alongside the print publications typically reviewed in this section.
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021
A Note from the Editor: Essentials John Fletcher Theatre Topics, Volume 31, Number 2, July 2021, pp. ix-xii (Article) Published by Johns Hopkins University Press A Note from the Editor: Essentials As those readers who saw the original call for papers know, my initial plans for a 2021 special issue centered on the notion of intimacy. I imagined a slate of pieces about intimacy choreography on stage and screen, intimacy awareness in theatre classrooms, and intimate ruminations about the ever-fascinating transactions between performers and audiences, between dramatic events and the places that house them, and between projects that speak to and with one another across time and space. That was in March 2020. Essentials in Three Acts: Collaboration, Care, Time by Shawn Chua, Sozita Goudouna, Adham Hafez, Eero Laine, Sarah Lucie, Juliana Moraes, Malin Palani, Rumen Rachev, and Leah Sidi The following is not an article. Nor is it a play, despite its structure. To some extent, it is a performance and an experiment. It was written collaboratively over a three-month period by a group of performance-makers and performance scholars in response to the difficulties of writing and studying during the pandemic. Following a cancelled international conference, we wrote from five different continents in moments of crisis shaped by personal, political, and geographical particulari- ties. Meeting over Zoom, we shared our fears for our industries, our communities, and our personal griefs. We also sought to think together in response to Theatre Topics’ call for articles on “Theatre Essentials.” Prior to this work, many of us did not know one another, although some had worked together through other projects and academic gatherings. The call to consider the essentials of the- atre has opened possibilities for us to examine what remains of theatre and our own work, as well as how a discipline and field might coalesce when gathering in person is considered a dangerous act.
Education by Theatre Project (2010 – 2014)
CBU International Conference Proceedings ..., 2016
This article summarizes the almost four-year duration of the Vzdelávanie divadlom (Educating through the Theatre) project from 2010 to 2014, which was funded through European structural funds and based at the Faculty of Arts, Constantine the Philosopher University, in Nitra. This project was managed by the author. As part of the project, 27 workshops were held on historical and contemporary poetics in theatre and their application. There were 45 works published (28 monographs, 15 manuals, and 2 electronic publications) and 8 lectures, 1 colloquium, 1 international conference, and 3 school theatre productions. Eleven Slovak theatre companies were hosted and two theatre festivals supported. This article highlights the main aims of the project and its impact at a nationwide level.