You're Projecting Again: Projection in Theatre

In light of technological improvements in the past few years, it is now easier than ever before to incorporate moving graphics and images into live theatre. Theatre arts is one of the most long-standing and beloved forms of art that continues to evolve and adapt as time crawls forward. Despite the comments of theatre traditionalists modern projection is heightening the message and integrity of modern productions.

Recently, many Tony-nominated and award-winning theatrical productions have taken advantage of the use of projection. The smash hit musicals Dear Evan Hansen, Anastasia, Into the Woods, Titanic: The Musical, and countless other productions have incorporated projection into their shows. Allen Mogol, writer for Playbill elaborates, “projection design is no longer an onstage bonus, it’s an integral part of design.”

Many theatre conservatisms are scared of this shift in theatre and fear that shows will lose their original intent and purpose from the increase in tech. As society grows and evolves into a more and more technological age it would be unbalanced for theatre to stay stagnant. Theatre critics agree, “It would be crazy for theatre not to embrace new technology, especially video projections, the results can be brilliant.” (Michael Billington) If theatre were to remain the same we wouldn’t have half of the design and technical elements we have today.

In the 1600s, they had nowhere near the sound or lighting designs we have today, should we stay true to Shakespearean plays and cut lights and sound? Of course not. Every decade more and more technical elements are added to enhance the quality and storytelling of productions.

Contrary to what traditional theatre enthusiasts may say projection is not taking the place of an actor or set piece it simply elements projected onstage are enhancing what is already there. Peter Nigrini, projection designer for Dear Evan Hansen explains that projection is, “about harnessing the technology in a way that feels like an organic extension of the emotional tone happening on the stage.”

Projection comes alongside an already fully formed story and heightens the tone of the piece. In a world full of lights, color, graphics, images, and videos it makes sense to speak to an audience in its native language. The projectionist is not changing or altering the message of a show by definition, “a projection designer is someone who creates and integrates video and graphics into varying forms of performance art.”

Projectionists work alongside the director and lighting designer to ensure that the images and graphics are all working together with the set, costumes, actors, and magnifying the overall message of the show. Projection is not added simply because it is interesting, but because it is used to drive home the message of a specific production.

Unlike a movie or television series, audiences cannot all see the small nuances or facial expressions on the actors, that's why it is the directors' job to convey the tone and message of the show on a larger scale. Theatre reviewers and educationists concur that “technology has not only changed the way things work onstage or what can be put there.”(Mike Lawler)

Projection allows the audience to see the selected images from anywhere. Depending on where the equipment is mounted one could project onto the floor, walls, ceiling, platform actors, or anywhere the director would like. This is a form of design allows audience members in the back row to experience the show the same way as those in the front row.

For many, theatre arts is a suspension of reality a way to transport the viewer to another time, place, and state of mind, “To enter a theatre for a performance is to be inducted into a magical space, to be ushered into the sacred arena of the imagination.” (Simon Callow)

It can be difficult to suspend belief of the adult audience, but with projection people often feel as though they’ve been transported somewhere completely new. Whether that is the bright orange and blue swirls of Seussical by Stephen Flaherty or inside the head of an autistic boy in The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Time by Simon Stephens.

Without the use of projection these shows simply wouldn’t be what they are today. Brunel University’s Steve Dixon agrees that, “multimedia theatre has resulted in some extraordinary productions that compress or reconfigure ideas of time, space and place, and interrogate the close interrelationships between micro and macro and the real and unreal.”

Traditionalists may argue that technology distracts from the content of the show one could say that the projection is content itself. The images, graphics and videos on the stage are just as alive and telling just of much as a story as the living breathing actors onstage.

Sources

• Dixon, S. (2010), “The philosophy and psychology of the scenographic house in multimedia theatre’, International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media 6:1, pp.7-24,doi:10.1386/padm.6.1.7_1
• Lawler, Mike. “New Stage Technology Changes the Game Behind the Scenes, and in the Classroom.” AMERICAN THEATRE, Theatre Communications Group, 5 Jan. 2017, www.americantheatre.org/2014/01/15/new-stage-technology-changes-the-behind-the-scenes-routine/.
• Mogol, Allen. “How Projection Design Is Changing the Landscape of Theatre.” Playbill, PLAYBILL INC., 3 June 2017, www.playbill.com/article/how-projection-design-is-changing-the-landscape-of-theatre.
• Pintar, Janey. Introduction to Theatre Profession, “Projection Slideshow” September 4, 2017
• Shaw, Dougal. “Digital Drama: The Technology Transforming Theatre.” BBC News, BBC, 27 Mar. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/technology-17079364.