Improvisational theater (improv) fits well into an academic definition of improvisation: “the process and product of creativity occurring simultaneously” (Lewis and Lovatt, 2013). The simultaneity in improv comes from the lack of scripting: players appear on stage, ask the audience for a suggestion, for example, “any object smaller than a breadbox,” and begin a frolic of their own that often la...

This paper argues that computer theater are an interesting domain for research in action representation, recognition, and generation. Here, computer theater describes experiences and systems where performers use computers in theatrical performances, both as a means to expand their bodies and as partners. Some of the most recent experiences in computer theater are surveyed and classified accordi...

, 15 burst into the lobby, urging attendees to come upstairs "for the meeting." We soon reached the performance space, but anyone who had then been expecting to settle into conventional theater seats-complete with a reassuring degree of physical distance between actors and spectators-would have been sorely disappointed. Instead, the thoroughly disoriented and confused attendees went ahead and t...

Restoration England (1660~1720) was a raucous time for theater-making. After an 18year Puritanical ban on the theater, and with the restoration of the worldly Charles II to the throne, English theater underwent a pivotal rebirth. At this time, women were allowed to act on the public stage for the first time, an event carrying enormous implications for gender roles. This paper argues that actres...

This paper describes a system called DiamondTheater that supports creative activities in theater using a tabletop tangible interface. This system is used to aid in the planning of certain aspects of theater production, such as actor positioning, and sound and lighting cues. Without having some considerable experience in production, it is difficult to create a mental picture of an actual product...

This paper studies how audiences should be expressed in a Cyber− theater, in which remotely located persons can direct plays as directors, perform as performers and/or see the performances as audiences through a networked virtual environment. It is noted that the audience effect has been widely acknowledged in the real−world theater: that is, the audience reaction has a significant effect on th...