THTR 412 New Media in Performance (MMCS)
This course explores compelling interactions between live performance and mediated experiences. Key facets of the media/performance relationship are studied including 19th century stage practices and the beginnings of cinema, the innovations of the 20th avant-garde, and the multimedia pioneers of the 1950-1970s. The balance of the course focuses on contemporary examples of new media technologies in performance to explore how cultural and aesthetic ideas about performance have expanded. Topics include the perception of the body in mediated and live contexts, spatial and temporal displacements, immersive and interactive environments, and the incorporation of AI. Readings in the theory and history of the field provide context for these innovations, and students will be encouraged to think creatively about the use of media and performance in their final projects. This course utilizes the resources of NYC for field trips to live performances and exhibits.