Computational Shifts in Theatrical Space

This dissertation describes a set of research projects that were conducted between 2012 and 2014 in order to answer the question how do computational ideas alter our understanding of place? Each project was produced in the context of the performing arts and included plays, dance performances and film and installation work. For each project new software and hardware systems were created as a means of exploring different types of mediated communication. These systems include a scalable depth-camera based tracking system for performance on stage, a tool for manipulation of live-streamed video incorporated into stage performance, a method of tracking biometric data of performers live during the performance and a game-engine for creating interactive environments. Collectively these experiments establish a framework for the discussion of the nature of the shifts caused by applying computational ideas to space. Finally, the results lay the foundation for further theoretical work concerning the creation of cultural artifacts that exist somewhere between the material and immaterial, the influence of computation on the nature of modeling, and the impact of ubiquitous computing on contemporary notions of performance and play.