About Reality

Puppet Theatre Zwickau

Author: Emanuel Geibel

Director: Monika Gerboc

Cast: Calum MacAskill, Agata Slowik, Hanna Daniszewska

Stage Design: Agnieszka Wielewska

Puppet Design: Alina Domin, Calum MacAskill

Music: Daniel Špiner

An audience of 30 people enters the Deže Kostolanji theatre and proceeds to sits on small round stools, perfectly spaced. The playwright of the project introduces herself and explains the premise of the play to the audience. It is based on the poem The Gold Diggers by Emmanuel Geibel. A translation of the poem is being projected onto the screen. Three best friends were digging for gold, but each one fell victim to doubt, subconscious or a demonic impulse telling them to deceive the others and keep the gold for themselves. Everyone tried to trick the other and, ultimately, they all got hurt in the process and lost the gold. Naturally, this 19th century poem speaks about the importance of friendship above material gain and greed. The playwright then explains the useage of VR goggles and headphones. Everyone in the audience is handed their goggles and suddenly, while sitting on the stage of Deže Kostolanji in reality, we find ourselves on stage of a fictional German theatre in virtual reality. Directing the gaze, the theatrical action begins. Through 3D sound (recorded in binaural technique which gives an impression of the sound coming from different directions) and 360 degrees image surrounding the viewer, a virtual doll was created in front of, behind and next to the audience. The most memorable scene was at the very beginning of the play, in the boat with two rowers in front and a third one behind. The viewer becomes a participant, a character in the play. Although other theatrical formats (such as immersive theatre) offer their audience the possibility to participate in the creation of a theatrical act, VR goggles provide a deeper feeling of being in the action itself.

After the play ended (in sync with its audience), we take off the glasses blinking rapidly (also almost in sync) to get used to reality. The playwright explains the demanding process of making the play, the limitations, filming conditions, authors’ aspirations, the trial and error process. They recount other viewers’ experiences - especially teenagers - and their reactions to the attempt to get them interested in traditional literature through a contemporary form. Classic teenagers, concludes the playwright, they’re same everywhere and to them everything is whatever and okay. Time was allocated for questions and comments from the audience. The theatre act ends there, with a theatrical staple- an applause - as we leave the venue.

The experience of watching digital puppets performing in virtual reality via VR glasses is extremely exciting. The scene in which we, in the lower left corner, see three friends climbing the mountain barely holding on is so tense that the viewer automatically reaches out to help. The scene showcases great possibilities that the play’s authors are yet to conquer. Virtual reality provides an opportunity for the viewer to make a choice. And what is drama if not making a choice? For example, in The Gold Diggers the viewer was in a boat and on a cliff, but after that the view is strictly observational. We could have remained a fourth friend with power to change the play’s course and ending.

The question posed at the Festival - whether this is theatre or not – for me, is an unnecessary one. VR goggles are a medium, a form, and will not destroy the theatre as neither film nor the use of video technology has changed it. We should not be scared and reject it in advance. Theatre cannot be threatened by a technological device. Through narrowed minds it can.

Audience impressions:

“Cool!” (girl, age 16)

“I’m happy to be living in the 21st century and being able to experience this” (young woman, age 27)

“VR goggles potential is not fully realized” (man, age 45)

“I’m thrilled with the narration and use of speech!” (woman, age 32)

Divna Stojanov