By Mahmoud Kamel
Theatre has always been connected with the development of society and technology. From the earliest stage performances to modern theatres with advanced lighting, sound, and visual effects, technology has helped artists present stories in new ways. However, every new development has raised an important question: does technology help artists express their ideas, or can it take over some of the work traditionally done by human beings?
These questions have become more important with the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). These technologies are no longer used only in scientific research or computer games. They are now entering theatres and other areas of the creative arts. They are changing the way performances look and how actors and audiences interact with each other.
In his book AI, AR, and VR in Theatre and Performance: Technology in the Present and Future of Live Creative Arts, Shane Pike examines the use of these technologies in live performances.
His work helps us understand the new opportunities they offer, as well as the problems that may come with them.
The main question is not whether technology can be used in theatre. It is whether it can serve the artistic purpose of a performance without losing the human experience that makes theatre special.
Technology and the changing face of theatre
The relationship between theatre and technology is not new. Throughout history, artists have used the tools available in their time to improve their performances. Changes in lighting, sound, stage design, and
visual effects have created new possibilities for presenting stories.
However, new technology often brings both excitement and concern.
Some artists welcome it because it helps them develop new ideas, while others worry that it may take the audience’s attention away from the actors and the story. These concerns become more
serious when technology begins to do tasks that were previously done by human artists.
Artificial intelligence has added a new dimension to this discussion. AI systems can now produce texts and images, imitate voices, and help with different creative activities. These abilities can be useful for playwrights, directors, designers, and performers. At the same time, they raise questions about originality, authorship, and the role of human imagination.
We should remember that AI, AR, and VR are different technologies. Each has its own functions and possibilities. Understanding these differences can help us judge how they can be used in theatre.
Artificial Intelligence and creative work
Artificial intelligence can help artists at different stages of theatrical production. It can suggest ideas, help develop scenes, prepare preliminary texts, and produce images for stage design. It can also perform some routine tasks, saving time for the creative team.
For example, a playwright may use AI to explore different ways of developing a character or a dramatic situation. A director may use computer-generated images to explain an initial idea to the production team. Stage designers may also use these images to compare different settings before making their final decisions.
However, producing words and images is not the same as creating a successful work of art. Theatre depends on human decisions and understanding.
It requires knowledge of characters, social relationships, dramatic language, and the feelings of the audience.
AI may produce useful material, but its value depends on how the artist examines, selects, and develops it. A scene produced by a computer does not automatically become a good dramatic scene. It must fit the play and serve the ideas of the playwright and director.
There is also a difference between producing something that looks convincing and creating something based on a real understanding of human experience.
Theatre deals with love, fear, suffering, hope, conflict, and the different sides of human behaviour.
These subjects need more than words and images. They need understanding and interpretation.
For this reason, AI should be seen as a tool that can assist artists, not as a replacement for them. The important issue is how to use it responsibly and effectively.
Augmented reality: New possibilities on stage
Augmented reality offers different possibilities. Instead of replacing the real world, it adds digital elements to the physical environment.
In theatre, these elements may include images and visual effects that appear as part of the stage.
AR can help directors and designers create scenes that would be difficult, expensive, or even impossible to build using traditional methods. It can also help communicate the meaning of a scene and give audiences new ways to understand what is happening.
One interesting concept discussed in Pike’s book is Communal Augmented Reality – Live, known as CARL. It aims to combine augmented reality with the shared experience of live performance. The physical stage remains important, but digital elements become part of the performance environment.
This approach is interesting because it tries to keep one of the main features of theatre: actors and audiences sharing the same space. Technology is used to add to this experience rather than necessarily replace it.
Still, digital effects do not always improve a performance. If they are not connected with the story, the characters, or the atmosphere, they may distract the audience. The director must make sure that technology serves the artistic purpose of the production.
Virtual reality and immersive theatre
Virtual reality offers another way of presenting theatre. It creates a digital environment in which participants can experience a simulated space instead of simply watching a performance on a physical stage.
Pike considers VR an established technology in live performance, especially for creating immersive experiences. These experiences allow participants to enter a designed environment and explore the performance from different positions.
As a result, audiences may become more active participants. Instead of watching a story from a fixed seat, they may feel that they are inside its world.
The difference between the performance space and the audience space can become less clear.
The work of the Belgian group CREW provides an example of using VR in immersive theatre. Its work shows how virtual environments can create experiences different from those offered by traditional stage performances.
However, a more immersive experience is not always a better artistic experience. Traditional theatre has its own power. The physical presence of an actor, the reaction of the audience, and the unexpected moments of a live performance are all important parts of the theatrical experience.
VR can open new possibilities, but artists must decide what they want the audience to experience and whether this technology is the right way to achieve it.
Dr Mahmoud Kamel
Professor at the Academy of Arts
