Setting the stage: digital imagery plays a leading role in a range of traditional theatrical productions.(Digital Video)

Part I of a two-part series

digital video and computer graphics effects have been starring on the big screen for years, and now the same tools and techniques that have wowed movie audiences are captivating theater-goers of a different kind. From rock concerts to operas, ballets to modern dance, digital images are taking center stage in these traditional theatrical productions. In some instances, the DV and CG elements serve as backgrounds; other times they are used as props or even performers on the stage. While the role or the particular art form in which they appear may vary, their function remains the same--to enhance the performance. | At the University of Kansas (KU), students and faculty have been integrating computer graphics in a number of unique projects (see "Performance Enhancer," pg. 52). Starting with the 1994 staging of Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine, KU's University Theatre and Institute for the Exploration of Virtual Realities have featured stereoscopic and virtual scenic environments in seven "experimental" works, the most recent being Mozart's The Magic Flute, which also includes projected video. | "The current generation is ...