A BRIEF HISTORY OF STORY Storytelling, at its roots began in the round. The gre at e pics of Gilgam e sh, and the
What was lost in the process was
Illiad we re told not on a stage , rathe r
the intimacy of being amongst the
by m e n circling a f ire re counting tale s
storyteller and the boundlessness of
of war, se x and gods. Wax e rs- poe tic
experienced under heavens’ expanse.
we re am ongst the audie nce , sharing
Great visions for harnessing these
space , e nv ironm e nt, air and lif e . The
attributes of story exist throughout
f ourth wall had y e t to e x ist, nor did
history. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre,
any othe r f or that m atte r. Rathe r,
originally
the se m e n orate d unde r the gre at
theatre-goers to the ring of arena and
ce le stial cloak of night. The m oon its
through its ocular opening a window
chande lie r, hung he av y on the drape d
to the sky. However, not even 50 years
dom e of the he av e ns.
later, The Globe was de m o lis he d by
built
in
1599,
returned
Ov e r tim e , orators m ade way f or
the Long Parliment’s order. Boullées
actors
monumental
with
who
colore d
characte r
and
the ir
words
m ov e m e nt.
As
Newton’s
atria
Cenotaph
conceived attempted
for to
the m e dium gre w with the rise of
capture the heavens in an orb the height
civ ilizations
of the Washington Monument, though
the re
was
a
shif t
of
story f rom circle to stage . Platf orm s
the attempt fell short to the execution.
to e le v ate pe rf orm e r and se parate spe ctator stirre d an e v olution f rom
With the adv ance m e nts i n au g men t ed
ope n
and v irtual re alitie s, M ix ed Realit y
The se
am phite tre s space s
to
grand
constructe d
halls.
f or
the
The ate r is the conduit to reco n n ect in g
sole purpose of display ing the soul-
the se two lost paradig ms fro m t h e
e nriching powe r of story .
origin of story .
The Experience Inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock, this immersive theater experience places the audience at center stage, in the middle of a suspenseful mystery. A r m ed
wi t h
b e sp o k e
Mixed
Reality
Opera
G l as s es , t h e a ud i e nc e i s c a l l e d o n t o so l v e t he p u zz l e t h em s el v e s a nd l o o k f o r e v i d e nc e i n o r d e r t o d et er m i n e t he i d e nt i t y o f t he m ur d e r e r .
The Plot A f t e r d i s c o v e r i n g a j o b p o s t i n g f o r a w a i t e r i n t h e p a p e r, u n e m p l o y e d Albert Hume arrives at ‘Cafe North,’ a quaint establishment with its back facing the courtyard of an apartment complex. U p on a r r i v a l , A l b e r t i s i nst a nt l y p ut t o wo r k by th e
Albert discovers: The Bachelor had many girlfriends
l an d l o r d , E d ga r , w ho a ssi gns A l b e r t t he o ver n i gh t
come to his apartment regularly, and that one
s h i ft . H e b e f r i e nd s a f e w o f t he t e n a n ts a n d i s
relationship
even tua l l y l e f t c o m p l e t e l y a l o ne , w he n su dden l y h e
Mother reminds Albert that The Bachelor is the son
c at c h e s si ght o f a w o m a n t hr o w n f r o m t he r o o f o f th e
of Edgar, and she can’t explain why her husband
ap ar t m e nt b ui l d i ng, p l ungi ng t o he r d e a th .
has disappeared; The Musician used to be a waiter
ended
badly
with
The
Dancer;
The
at ‘Cafe North’, until he started making enough A l b er t r ushe s t o c a l l t he p o l i c e , r i ght a s Edga r a ppea r s
money to move into the apartment complex; The
ou t o f no w he r e a nd d i sc o nne c t s t he ph o n e. Al ber t
Dancer loves to spy on her musician neighbor; The
i n for m s E d ga r t ha t a w o m a n ha s b e e n th r o wn fr o m
Newlyweds’ daughter died just last year, after The
t h e r o o f . I n o r d e r t o a v o i d c o m p l i c a t i on s wi th th e
Doctor, who is going through a divorce, gave the
p ol i c e , E d ga r i nv e st i ga t e s o n hi s o w n a nd dec l a r es th e
baby a checkup.
d eat h a sui c i d e . E d ga r e x a m i ne s t he b ody a n d gi ves A l b er t hi s k e ys a nd t e l l s hi m t o c he c k t he r o o f. Wh i l e
After concluding his investigation, Albert gathers the
u p t h e r e , A l b e r t f i nd s a no t e w i t h t he wo r d ‘Mu r der ’
neighbors in ‘Cafe North’ to present his deduction. As
s c r i b b l e d o n i t . C o nv i nc e d t hi s no t e w a s pen n ed by th e
he walks around the dining area, handing each tenant
vi c t i m , A l b e r t he a d s o f f t o so l v e t he m ur der a l o n g wi th
an envelope full of cash with their name on it, Albert
Ed g ar a nd t he r e si d e nt s sur r o und i ng ‘ C a f e No r th ’.
begins to instruct them on how to better deceive the role of “ The Waiter”. He admits he’s proud of each
T h e Ne w l yw e d s, The D o c t o r , The D a nc e r , T h e Mu si c i a n ,
and every one of them for their commitment to this
T h e M o t he r , a nd The B a c he l o r – t he y a l l a ssi st i n th e
intellectual ruse, but a few characters need to adjust
i n ves ti ga t i o n, b ut no m a t t e r ho w m uc h A l ber t i n si sts
their alibi’s. As all the tenants begin to share what
on en l i st i ng a d e t e c t i v e , e v e r yo ne c o nv i n c es h i m i t’s
improvements they can make to their character the
a b ad i d e a . I n o r d e r t o r e c o nst r uc t a t i mel i n e o f th e
phone suddenly rings. Under Albert’s direction, this
n i g h t , A l b e r t b e gi ns hi s i nt e r r o ga t i o n b y g o i n g to ea c h
apartment complex has been hired once again to
of t h e t e na nt ’ s a p a r t m e nt s.
commit the “perfect murder”.
the woman
the doctor
the LANDLORD
THE DANCER
the wife
THE WAITER
the husband
the Musician
the MOTHER
THE BACHELOR
THE GLOBE inVERTED As we develop the Mixed Reality Theatre user experience, what must come f irst is the story. Our script, blocking, choreography, sound and augmented interactive layer must all be precisely designed to work together for the live experience. Currently, we are
area of clear sight
developing the script and the next phase is to iron out the traditional mechanics of a live theater performance, then lastly create
the
string
of
3D
graphics
and
technical methodology to weave into the traditional theater experience. From
the
design, through
perspective
this
script
three
of
will
mediums;
experiential
tell
the
the
area of peripheral sight
story
empathy
of film, the agency of games and the motivation of real life. In order to do this, we will formulate our own writing format that feels similar to a virtual reality screenplay; a film where the audience is placed at the center of the experience and the narrative plays out in the round. However, no matter what epic fictions are rendered into these new storytelling formats,
we
believe
the
human
actor
C H A I R RO T A T I O N = 3 6 0 ˚ area of sight
should always be placed as the catalyst for unique experiences.
it
By combining a complex, plot-driven classic
the
audience
in
and
n ti ta ey
pull
105˚
ht
lin
e
al e nt t lin zo sigh ri ing o x h rela
x
to
sig
a
order
e
upp
leverage suspenseful storytelling motifs in
ro
er
more than just a physical sense. We will
o
sig
our plot structure will be immersive in
u
ht
an augmented reality theatre experience,
p
lim
whodunnit film with the open format of
m
immerse them deeper through emotional engagement of character and plot. Like the
max
lo
finest films, our script will aim to motivate
eye r o tat
w
ion d wn
er
the audience to participate by internally
si g
hypothesizing outcomes and plot points
h t li
— giving the audience an opportunity to
10˚
m it
engage in the same process of deduction as the protagonist, in real time. From there we can manifest the interactive layer.
65˚
a n g l e s o f i n c l i n at i o n a n d s i g h t l i n e s
r e p r e s e n ta t i o n a l t h e a t r e s c h e m a t i c
opera glass reimagined Upon completion of the script, we then would add a layer of AR enhancements in certain scenes and moments. This way, the interactive components
screen makes their way to center
of the story will live both within
stage.
the script and the user experience.
We will shoot test performances in
At
the
the round by using a 360° camera
gesture-
to flesh out the choreography. This
any
moment,
implementation controlled
through
of
user
a
interface,
an
reference
footage
will
not
only
audience member can cast a vote as
inform the flow and optics of the
to who they think the murderer is. At
play, but it will also define where the
the very end the collective average
use of augmented reality graphics
is shown to both audience members
best fit. As an audience member
and
a
walks to their seat, the first thing
through-line in our writing and story
they will notice is that the stage
design, that will motivate the cast to
is built all around them, and the
iterate on the characters and see if
audience is positioned at its center.
they can sway different audiences in
They are immediately part of the
different directions — an experience
storyline, by existing in the center
reminiscent of the plot itself. Simply
of the world in which it takes place.
by turning their head or gesturing
Through
with
audience’s
perspective at which the audience
involvement in the plot magnifies in
experiences the story, they become
possibilities.
part of the narrative — a character
actors.
their
We
will
hand,
the
fashion
the
unique
angle
and
in the plot. The next experience enhancing AR implementation will be the use of
By
cinematic close-ups and theatrical
applying technology to the oldest
split screens. Like an editor in an
storytelling platform, a new medium
editing
of
is born, void of a fourth wall and full of
two fingers, an audience member
possibilities. The audience members
can choose to see the live scene
are
from
Leveraging
challenged to stop clinging to their
technology to take dramatic irony
narrow view of reality, and see things
to the next phase. Rendered into
from a different perspective. Their
these windows is a dynamic picture
involvement is to not only figure out
in picture visualization of the exact
what happened, but think about how
scene covered from another angle —
they feel about what happened – to
from the perspective of one of the
be more than a spectator, and more
actual actors on stage, or perhaps
than a storyteller. Ultimately, what it
a closeup on a gun as someone off
is to be human.
room,
another
with
the
angle.
pinch
starting
now
with
amongst
the
the
script
and
characters,
SOUND
STYLE
SCALe
Style is more than just applying a uniform visual aesthetic to a narrative.
Scale when viewed within a frame — or on a stage — conveys p o w e r, c o m p o s i t i o n a n d perspective.
S t y l e g i ves t he v i e w e r a p o i nt o f
st yl e i s used to i mmer se th e vi ewer
ac c es s
an
i nt o a na r r a ti ve spa c e th a t th ey feel
i m mer s i ve l ens f o r t he a ud i e nc e . I n
i nt e nse l y i n vo l ved i n by bei n g pa r t o f
t h e c as e of a t he a t r i c a l e x p e r i e nc e ,
t he w o r l d i t ta kes pl a c e i n .
to
the
material.
It
is
Just like a live performance in-theround, sound will help direct the viewer’s attention. While
m om e nts
of
dialogue
and
Ho wever i n o r der to giv e parallax to
action will act as the north star in
th e su bj ec t i n a 360 ° m e dium , scale
the be ginning of e ach sce ne , the
mu st
For
m ov e m e nt of spe cif ic props or se t
exa mpl e, wh a t do es a story f e e l like
pie ce s can act as pe rf e ct sonic cue s.
a s a n a n t vs. Go dzilla? Mix e d re ality
By apply ing both stage blocking and
th ea tr e ta c kl es th e challe nge of scale
f ilm e diting te chnique s in othe r are as
h ea d o n by c h a n gi ng the conte x t; the
of the sphe rical stage , we can prom pt
per spec ti ves i n wh ich we v ie w f rom in
v ie we rs
o r der to c h a n ge the f e e ling towards
f ollow the action.
be
tr ea ted
th e su bj ec t.
dif f e re ntly .
to
turn
the ir
he ads
and
The INSPIRATION Alfred Hitchcock made some of the greatest movies of all time, but more importantly he taught us how to watch them. Hitchcock looke d to the past f or inspiration. His stage - to- scre e n adaptations e x pande d the language of f ilm as f ar as possible , all f or the sake of story te lling. He cre ate d a ne w way to e x pe rie nce a m e dium , by giv ing a point of acce ss to the m ate rial. Whe n y ou go to se e a f ilm , do y ou ne ce ssarily say that it’s an e x pe rie nce ? It can be som e tim e s, but y ou ty pically think of e x pe rie nce s whe re y ou’re actually participating in the construction of e v e nts in som e way - y ou’re able to m ake choice s, and e x pre ss y our age ncy in a way that is part of cre ating that e x pe rie nce . The re is a de e p le v e l to be f ound in f ilm , in which y ou f e e l y ou are f ully e x pe rie ncing it, a language we colle ctiv e ly unde rstand. Whe re as v irtual and augm e nte d re ality are m e dium s m uch close r to lif e , whe n y ou’re f ully im m e rse d, and what y ou’re noticing is dif f e re nt than what som e one e lse is noticing. In Mix e d Re ality The atre , y our age ncy is y our conv iction.
The C r e at o r s Tom Basis
i s a n I sr a el i -Amer i c a n wr i ter a n d di r ec to r ba sed o u t
o f NY C . H e i s c ur r e nt l y a di r ec to r a t T h e Mi l l , wi th a pa ssi o n fo r th e c o nv e r ge nc e o f f i l m , th ea tr e, a n d tec h n o l o gy. He h a s pu t h i s n a me to se v e r a l m a j o r c a m p a i g n s i n fa sh i o n , desi gn , a n d tec h n o l o gy, a n d h a s c o l l a b o r a t e d w i t h t o p-ti er c o mpa n i es a t th e fo r efr o n t o f th ei r fi el ds, suc h a s M a r c he sa a nd Al vi n Ai l ey Amer i c a n D a n c e T h ea ter . Wi th a f r e sh ye t hi ghl y c ur a t e d a esth eti c T o m’s mo st r ec en t pr o j ec ts i n c l u de w o r k f o r I B M , sho w c asi n g th e Wa tso n AI tec h n o l o gy.
Rob Hinderliter
i s a T o n y Awa r d wi n n er a n d fi ve-ti me T o n y
A w a r d no m i ne e f o r hi s pr o du c i n g wo r k o n B r o a dwa y. C u r r en t l ea d p r o d uc t i o ns i n d e v e l o pmen t i n c l u de Wo n der fu l , di r ec ted by two -ti me To ny A w a r d w i nne r , Ju di th I vey, c u r r en tl y sl a ted fo r i ts B r o a dwa y p r e m i e r e i n t he 2 0 1 8 / 2019 sea so n . Al so i n to p-ti er , Ma r i l ee & B a by L a m b : The A ssa ssi na ti o n o f a n Amer i c a n Go ddess wr i tten by T o n y A w a r d w i nne r a nd A ca demy Awa r d n o mi n ee, Ma r k Medo ff. I n fi l m, he r e c e nt l y e x e c ut i v e pr o du c ed th e i n di e dr a ma Wa kefi el d, sta r r i n g B r ya n C r a nst o n a nd J en n i fer G a r n er , ma r ki n g h i s sec o n d pr o du c ti o n w i t h M r . C r a nst o n a f t er pr o du c i n g Al l th e Wa y fo r th e sta ge, r ec ei vi n g B e st Pl a y ho no r s i n 2 014.