Inner Awareness（making of)

Interactive performance and immersive theatre are emerged in the world of dramaturgy in the context of this new digital age. In the world of dramaturgy, how may one recompose and redefine the world of dramaturgy in the digital age to achieve the desired results of interactivity and immersion? What is the relationship between body, space, time and performance in drama? How can they interact? How to redesign theatre space? How may one create an immersive space in dramaturgy? How can digital technology help the audience to take a more interactive role?

This project proposes a new form of theatre with a spatial interactive installation design that will assess the relationship among performance, space and audience, thereby provid-ing the audience with a thoroughly immersive experience. By using digital technology and computer programming (processing, unity, kinect, projection mapping, etc) a new narrative and immersive space may be created. I shall investigate the process of a performance based interactive installation which will support the development of the dramatic space.

For this project, I have selected the traditional Chinese Kunqu Opera, THE PEONY PAVIL-ION, as my research example. Kunqu Opera is an Eastern classical dramatic art form. THE PEONY PAVILION tells a love story through the medium of dream, which is beyond space and time, even beyond life and death. Nonetheless, the employment of digital technology can lead to a new and better theatrical interpretation; the collision and fusion of classical drama and contemporary digital art has the potential to give the opera a new lease of life. Furthermore, this is a spiritual read to The Peony Pavilion, demonstrating heroine Du Liniang’s emotional attitude towards love, and the brave and persistent pursuit after ideals. Audiences are encouraged to walk into the space everywhere, to reflect themselves in the dream, to achieve an interactive experience and to immerse themselves in the dramatic world which bring themselves inner awareness.