Experimental Theatre

The name of the performance was “Immerse”, being named after the machine used in the performance. The filming was located inside the black box, which had two doors on both sides, then three flaps used as windows to the outside that the cast used during the performance. The flaps were all placed with a set distance between them to allow the actors complete invisibility from whoever was inside the box, which we used to great effect.

To talk about the setting of the performance, I must first lay the context. The machine allowed the user to travel between different worlds, which include the bedroom of a child, inside a submarine, a forest containing some sort of monster and a pitch black room with flashing red eyes. During many of these ‘experiences’, a wide array of props were used, including a silken material for waves, a turtle, a teddy bear, a ball, red-lit torches and a deactivated light being used as a camera on the submarine. Immersion obviously was very important to us during the rehearsal period. This desire is supported by the black box’s small interior and a limited view of the outside, which helped us be in total control of the viewer’s vision the entire time. Five actors were involved, including myself, Meagan, Azalea, Lin-Yun and Owen.

Explain what a black box is and how it was used in the theater piece:

A black box, in our case, is a small wooden box with three openable flaps being pulled by strings, with a single chair in the interior of it. There are numerous points around the box you can manipulate to change what the viewer sees, same with keeping two flaps open, two closed, etc. With the use of sound, such as the voice overs provided by Azalea, we effectively created an atmosphere via our tools. We had the lights off in the room as well to add to the atmosphere, something we used later on with the torches to create a sense of being watched by creatures.

Discuss how the use of a black box affected the staging and presentation of the performance.

The entire performance, obviously, is centred around the use of the black box. We decided early on that we wanted to incorporate the audience into the play, by having the characters interact with them. This is scene multiple times throughout the performance, the first time being when the audience member is being viewed as the child, the use of the teddy bear breaking the wall between the performers and audience. The second time was when the two people in the forest were running as they entered the box, treating as if it was there. The third time was with the beady red eyes as if they were being watched, and finally when the scientist got them out the box and facility. By doing this, we created an immersive and depth-filled atmosphere where the audience felt like it was really happening.

Identify the specific props used in the performance and describe how they were used.

Throughout the performance we used a wide array of props. It started off with a teddy bear and football, to illustrate the picture of being in a child’s room. Additionally, cloth was used to create bed sheets. The next experience was the submarine. We used props of sea creatures and radar sounds to create the environment of the deep sea, alongside a light for the radar itself. Whilst not being a prop, the use of sound really helped as alongside the props, it gave us another tool to create a more believable environment.

Discuss how the actors interacted with each other and with the props used in the performance.

To carry my point on, I will illustrate how the use of props gave actors a greater depth to the performance. Having already been stated, the world-building that it provided is invaluable. Another thing that was invaluable was how we used sound and incorporated it with the props. Like I already said, the radar gave us a sense of loneliness and isolation whilst within that experience, adding to the sense of fear the performance aimed to achieve. Sounds such as stomping and crashing into the submarine combined with the frantic movements of the props aided us in creating more depth and believability in our performance.

Analyze the acting techniques used by the actors and how they contributed to the overall impact of the performance.

Whilst I was not there, I can definitely speak to the coordination that was achieved in the final performance. We aimed to be as synchronised and on point as people with sound queues, props and timing on when the flaps should open, and in my opinion, achieved quite well. Additional techniques such as sound gave us more room to explore the room and idea, whilst also giving depth to the creatures outside the box.

Summarize the key points of the documentation and provide your overall impressions of the performance.

The fact we managed to create such a well established and coordinated performance is something I am very impressed by. Whilst I think there were areas that needed working on, such as being visible in certain spots when you intended not to be seen by the audience, I think the overall performance was very well made. I think the flaps were used incredibly well and felt very smooth and succinct to the rest of the performance. One notable moment in the rehearsal process was finding all the right timings for each individual movement and how satisfying it felt to rehearse.