Thursday, October 3, 2019
Some of the Technological Advancements that Shaped Modern Theater Essay Example for Free
Some of the Technological Advancements that Shaped Modern Theater Essay In 1998 the movie Shakespeare in Love took the Oscar’s award for best picture. It was a movie with a title that seems not to promise much but what it lacks in hype it made up in substance.            The most endearing aspect of the movie was the realistic depiction of what theater was in the Renaissance period and most importantly what theater was before the modern age. The movie will help explain why theater was such a powerful communication device when radio, television and the Internet was yet a thing of the distant future. The movie was able to show its effect on the audience and the community at large. The acclaimed movie was also able to explain the influence and the spellbinding effect it has on the artists involved in the production, from the playwright down to the stage hands.            There is one last thing that needs to be realized when watching Shakespeare in Love and it is something that serious students of the craft was able to identify easily but perhaps other less discerning failed to do. And this is the depiction of how a play was staged before the advent of the technological advancements that defined the modern age. This means there was no electricity at the time when Shakespeare started out as a weaver of stories and plays. There was nothing that can be seen in terms of technological breakthroughs in sound, lighting and stage design. All of these components found in the modern theater can be taken for granted by modern theater enthusiasts but it is better if one reminds himself or herself what it was like before all these inventions came to be.            This study aims to contribute in the appreciation of the evolution of theater through the centuries. But most importantly this is done to help chart the future of the staging of plays, drama, comedy, opera, etc. By doing so, the people who love theater and all it represents can become some sort of watchmen safeguarding the essence of theater from the possible distortion. The possible distortion of its beauty can easily come from the source of its current status – technology. This study aims to look at some of the technological advancements and inventions that created the modern theater. It also briefly touches on the need to preserve what is intrinsically â€Å"theater†so to speak. Illusions and Engineering            Imagine staging a play at the time when power tools and forms of heavy equipment is still in the drawing boards of some artists and not even scientists. After that thought begins to sink in then imagine the implications in terms of trying to properly interpret fiction, a work of imagination. Simply put how can one show the audience a disappearing act or the appearing of a spirit from the abyss? There is no way to do that unless actors learned how to become â€Å"The Flash†.            So, when stage designers came up with their first attempt in realism the audience were thrilled and how plays get to be interpreted was never the same again. Like the movies, theater seeks to reach a level of realism to satisfy the audience, the critics and the producers of the play themselves.            One of the first technological developments documented was described by Hopkins in his book, illusions and magic on stage. It was the invention of the â€Å"Trap†. The author described it this way: The trap is one of the oldest and most primitive means of producing stage illusions, and it is in use to day in most theaters and opera houses. The principle is very simple [] The actor,         singer, or devil who is to make his sudden appearance upon the stage stands on a platform which is hoisted to the stage level by means of winches turned by the stage hands. (1990)            As seen in the above mentioned inventions most of the earlier technological advancements rely on muscle power. There were very little improvements with regards to the age old use of pulleys and levers etc. But in the advent of the Industrial Age and the perfection of electric power; technological developments in all aspects of living in general and theater in particular suddenly improved to breakneck speed. Electricity brings with it many wonders, gadgets and equipment. The first major change is the ability of the director to manipulate light and sound. Lighting and Sound became part of the science of staging plays and operas.            When electricity was tamed and transformed into something less dangerous, the number of applications for this invention went to the roof. The theater benefited much, especially at the advent of the Digital Age. The Computer            The Computer came from humble beginnings until it dominated modern life. There is no industry or profession that was not transformed by this technological development of the 20th century. To be more accurate there is no profession or industries that do not stand to benefit from this technological marvel. And of course theater is no exception. In the later half of the 1900s computers and software contributed to the dizzying rate of evolution in theater production. What will be discussed next are examples of what are the current trends in staging plays and operas. Computer Aided Lighting            In the â€Å"Stage Lighting Handbook†, Francis Reid discussed some of the features of modern methods of managing stage lighting that is aided by a computer and software and he wrote: Several software programmes have been written to aid management of the lighting process particularly organizing paperwork, keeping it up to date and printing it out [] Software is also available to track the progress of each light in each cue, with instant information     displayed on screen or in print [] Most of these lighting management techniques use information technology to speed up processes which have hitherto been done manually. (2002) Technology in Sound            John Leonard made an interesting study of primitive technology in the production of sound effects in theaters more than two hundred years ago. In his book he described how men in that era tried to mimic rain. It is by the use of a device that allows peas to drop on panel and the desired effect is rain pelting on rooftops. Leonard also described a contraption that allows cannon balls to roll down a trough; this action produces the sound of thunder. The gadget was aptly named â€Å"Thunder Run†(Leonard, 2001).            In the same book, Leonard made the transition of describing modern gadgets and this time computers, microchips, and complex electronics make up modern instruments for creating more realistic sounds. Still Leonard made this remark: It is tempting to believe that because we are so advanced technically [] we should ignore the past and how our predecessors managed things [†¦] we have a bewildering range of play-back options, CDs, synthesizers, digital signal processing, smart loudspeakers and the smallest of microphones that can be hidden in an actors hair. (2001)            This same sentiment was echoed by Patrice Pavis who was alarmed at the speed of development of theater which for her defeats the purpose of theater and she said, â€Å"Theater tends towards simplification, minimalization, fundamental reduction to a direct exchange between actor and spectator†(1992). Conclusion            The world of theater is indebted to technological marvels that made the staging of plays less difficult. Technology also allows producers and directors of plays/operas to have that satisfaction of achieving realism as much as possible.            But purist and other serious students of theater warn against over complication that may rob theater of its true power. As seen on the movie Shakespeare in Love, a play can easily move the audience sans electricity, complicated stage design, expensive lighting equipment and sophisticated sound amplification and effects. If no one believes this, then just think of how Greek tragedies and Shakespearean plays survived through the ages if theater was not successful in its primitive form. References Hopkins, A. (1990). Magic: Stage Illusions, Special Effects and Trick Photography. Courier Dover Publications Reid, F. (2002). The Stage Lighting Handbook. UK: Routledge. Leonard, J. (2001). Theater Sound. New York: Routledge. Hiram, M. (1972). The Theater of Today. Manchester, NH: Ayer Publishing. Pavice, P. (1992). Theatre at the Crossroads of Culture. New York: Routledge.
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