Digital Stagecraft: Integrating Virtual Reality and Live Performance in Contemporary Theatre
Keywords:
Actor Training, Audience Engagement, Digital Theatre, Immersive Performance, Performance Technology, Stagecraft Innovation, Virtual RealityAbstract
This study examines the integration of virtual reality (VR) technologies into live theatre performances and their impact on actor adaptation, audience engagement, and stagecraft innovation. Despite a growing number of experimental VR performances, systematic research addressing the practical and theoretical implications remains limited. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates four documented VR-enhanced theatre productions: The Under Presents, immersive 360° theatre experiences, Goodnight, Sleep Tight, and Frogman. Data were collected through structured observations, semi-structured interviews with 12 actors and directors, and surveys of 240 audience members, supplemented by documented findings from published VR theatre studies. Findings demonstrate that VR integration enhances spatial and narrative immersion, requiring actors to modify physical gestures, timing, and stage interactions. Audience engagement scores were significantly higher in VR performances than in traditional productions. Thematic analysis highlighted three core areas of adaptation: embodied presence, interactivity, and dramaturgical innovation. These findings provide both practical guidance for theatre practitioners and theoretical contributions to performance studies, demonstrating the potential for technology-mediated live theatre as a new field of academic inquiry.
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