Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

This study explores how immersive theatre created by augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can be more inclusive than traditional theatre. Immersive theatre revolutionizes the audience experience and creates opportunities for inclusion, which does not just mean involving the audience, but also enabling the practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued, respected, and supported. In traditional theatre with the fourth wall, the audience sitting in the auditorium is more alienated, as it remains physically distanced from the play and overhears the conversations on stage. At most it can react through applauding or booing. But in immersive theatre, the audience and the performers are placed in the same physical space together. The audience is living within the world of the play, directly connected to the actors, taken out of the safe vantage point of the auditorium, and becomes vulnerable. Members of the audience can react individually, directly to the play as if in real life, basing on their personal experiences. This gives them room for being directly engaged with the play and performance. There are different degrees of interactivity depending on the setup of the immersion. Theatres have been making use of AR and VR to enhance the audience experience, and in effect also provides various opportunities to be inclusive. I illustrate with recent immersive theatre productions with AR and VR around the world, such as those by the National Theatre in London, UK, Piehole in Los Angeles, USA, and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company in Boston, USA.