Digital-age theater.(editor's note)

Ever since the ancient Greeks first took to the stage more than 2500 years ago, theatrical productions have spread to virtually every society and have evolved in virtually every way to reflect the culture of each place and time. Yet several aspects of the productions--including the static nature of the stage environments and the "single-medium" nature of the performances--have remained fundamentally the same.

Now even these facets of the performing arts are undergoing a dramatic transformation, as theater artists and producers adapt to one of the most significant cultural influences in history--computer-based multimedia technology and its pervasive integration into our information and entertainment industries. Indeed, this revolution is spawning a new genre of theater performances for a new generation of audiences tuned to the digital age.

The current generation is hardwired to process multiple streams of dynamic visual imagery almost instantaneously, says Mark Reaney, a theater professor at the University of Kansas, which recently staged a multimedia presentation of Mozart's The Magic Flute (see "Setting the Stage," pg. 30). For example, people watching CNN-type newscasts can process several windows of visual information at once. And computer gamers can do the same, even while managing the interactions of multiple game characters. Therefore, productions such as KU's The Magic Flute--which featured simultaneous interactions between live actors and CG characters, sets, and props that are projected onto several giant screens on stage--are proving especially appealing to this plugged-in generation.

Unfortunately, such works, at this time, are limited mainly to university productions, for a number of reasons. First, audiences tend to be more accepting of the technology. Second, creating high-quality digital imagery is expensive in terms of equipment and manpower, both of which tend to be more accessible to ...