New Scenic Subjects: Explorations of a System of Autonomous On-Stage Observers

This paper describes a full body interactive performance system where the users interact with a set of non-human observers. An observer is a sculptural scenic presence, vaguely anthropomorphic, equipped with a camera, that analyses the movements of the users, and creates a soundscape. The observers are movable but not mobile, meaning that their placement on stage defines a set of overlapping layers of activation for the users to interact with. This work aims to answer questions on what scenic subjects emerge from interacting with the observers, what new identities and relationships are established, and how we can use emotional and scenic components of these relationships to find new expressive qualities in stage productions.