"Digital Theatre" and "Cyber

Theatre" in Drama Education

at School

A study of 2 performance projects at a High-school

in Eberswalde, Germany

Master Thesis

Author: Michalis Georgiou

Supervisor: Kristina Hellberg

Examiner: Reza Arjmand

Term: VT21

Subject: Digital Humanities

Level: Master of Arts

Course code: 4DH40E

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to highlight: 1. how the introduction of new technologies in

Drama Education at school can renew the context in which performance projects

take place and 2. how the constraints imposed by a pandemic, such as those caused

by COVID-19, can be overcome through cybertheatre. The phenomenological

method is used to analyze a digital and a cyberperformance project, as theatre is an

event that takes place between its creators and its spectators. With the use of digital

tools in school performances a new experience emerges for students and spectators,

as the "living" actor is combined with "non-human" actors. Besides, the

cyberperformance provides a solution to a real problem in the midst of a pandemic

crisis, as the spectators participate remotely from the comfort of their own home. In

terms of interactivity, by giving the spectator the opportunity to use some information

or to choose the action of the play, the performances become more interesting, while

theatre is being highlighted, as an event that differs from other media such as T.V. or

cinema. Finally, the dialogue that can be produced in a chat-forum in

cyberperformance works as a reflection to it.

Key words

Drama Education, COVID-19, digital theatre, spatial experience, cyberperformance,

cyberspace, interaction, reflection, spectator, chat-forum.

Acknowledgments

Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Kristina Hellberg, who has supported

me with her scientific advice and thoughtful comments on my thesis research.

Furthermore, I am grateful to my tutors, who have guided me all this year in this

interesting field of study. I am indebted to my students for the enjoyable rehearsals

we carried out, as well as for the implementation of the following projects.

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Table of contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Background 3

3 Previous research 4

4 Theoretical basis 6

5 Methodology 8

5.1 Purpose and aims 8

5.2 Ethical issues 9

5.3 The projects as research material 9

6 Analysis 19

7 Discussion 26

8 Conclusion 27

9 References 29

10 Appendix 34

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1 Introduction

Since September 2020 I started working as Drama Education (Darstellendes

Spiel) teacher in a private high-school in Eberswalde in Germany. The course

Drama Education at school in Germany, is part of the formal education, as it

is organized and guided by a formal curriculum, leading to the officially

recognized high school diploma and the teacher who teaches it, is recognized

as a professional one (Eaton, 2010). Thus, it is differentiated from informal

learning, where there is no formal curriculum and no credits earned, while the

teacher is simply someone with more experience (Eaton, 2010).

Drama Education at school combines theatre theory with theatrical

action and this means that part of the drama lesson is theoretical and part of it

practical. For this combination to be successful, the relationship between

theory and practice should be productive (Westbrook, et al., 2013, p. 15).

Knowledge and practical effort intersect, so that their separation becomes

difficult (Darstellendes Spiel, 2017). On the one hand, theatrical practice

makes theoretical content tangible and clear and on the other hand, the

feedback on theory is the prerequisite to success in action. The multifaceted

character of the theatre, has made the course Drama Education, apart from

being an autonomous teaching subject at all levels of Education, a tool of

teaching other subjects, as well and renewing and revitalizing the learning

process. In addition, this course includes the thinking and teaching practice of

teachers, as well as the visible observation of the results of the students

themselves, which makes its methodology "effective".

The modern age of information, digitalization and development of new

technologies creates a new and constantly changing reality, to which

Education is called to respond positively (Domingo & Gargante, 2016). School

is called to meet both the new needs of the students, as well as the society's

ones, from which it is being shaped. Drama teachers and professionals are

examining the positive impact of technology in drama in a world that is

changing very fast under the influence of technology (Cameron & Anderson,

2009, p. 7). The use of modern technological means can bring significant

benefits to educational process, as students of all levels have the opportunity

to interact, and develop multiple skills.

My intention as Drama Education teacher was anyway to integrate the

new technologies in the course (Flintoff, 2010) and more specifically in the

projects/performances that I organize with my students. The spread of

COVID-19 brought the above intentions even more strongly to the fore

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(Nagaraju, 2020). The main reason is that the results of the drama course are

usually presented in front of spectators, something that was impossible under

the current pandemic situation. Thus, the impetus for my project arose from

two basic observations and needs: the first one was the impact of modern

technology in theatre projects and the second one was the real need to look for

digital alternatives in theatre, to address COVID-era concerns. In this context

I was led to create with my students two projects/performances, which are the

subject analysis of my Master thesis: the first one uses technology and physical

objects creating an interaction between visual, acoustic and physical

dimension, illustrating a spatial interaction. The second one, I call it

cyberperformance (Chatzichristodoulou, 2012), as it uses technological

means, in terms of creation, but also the internet and multimedia to be attended

by the spectators. Cyberperformance is a new form of theatre that develops its

capabilities in parallel with technological means, retaining some of the

traditional theatrical techniques, differing however much of the traditional

form of theatre mainly in terms of corporeality (Papagiannouli, 2011, p. 273-

282). The basic idea is to use the internet technology as a cyberstage to bring

performers and spectators together (Papagiannouli, 2011, p. 273-282).

Cyberstage is the online environment, where communication takes place,

namely a space and non-space, with performers and spectators being present

and absent at the same time as part of a synchronous and mediating experience

(Papagiannouli, 2011 p. 273-282). Some interactive experiments for the

creation of cyberdrama have already been made and described in various

countries around the world, like Make-Shift (2010), which was about earth

pollution, Life Streaming (2010), which was a rectification of the 2004 tsunami

and Such Tweet Sorrow (2010), which was a Romeo Juliet adaptation

(Papagiannouli, 2011, p. 273-282).

More specifically, this study is an exploratory one, aiming to

investigate how the drama teacher can use the different manifestations of

digital and cybertheatre to create modern performances at school. In addition,

the study focuses on the use of internet platforms as theatrical spaces,

screenings and performance spaces and explores the interactive possibilities

of digital and online theatre, as well as the intermediate spaces and the

experiences they evoke.

The following chapter deals with the overall background and

terminological foundations of the study and the next one with the state of

research in the field. In chapter four the theoretical perspective is explained

and chapter five provides the methodology used. In chapter six, the results of

the projects presented are analyzed and the discussion section is used to

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present how the study answered the research questions relating back to the

theory and current research in the field. In the final chapter the main results

are summarized and a conclusion with suggestions for future research is

presented.

2 Background

The study and the projects revolved around the concepts: Drama Education,

digital tools and cybertheatre. To create one understanding how it might look

like, some definitions and concepts have to be explained. These include: the

concept of "digital tools", of "cyberspace", and the concept of "interactive

performance". An examination of all these areas helped to identify the

elements of a cyberperformance, as well.

The lesson of Drama Education at school contributes to the formation

of the personality of the students and to the cultivation of their skills. It is an

interactive process, which in contrast to a teacher-centered teaching system, it

puts the student at the center of interest (İşyar, 2017). Drama Education at

school is, as Ι have said, the dialectical relationship between theory and

practice, artistic and pedagogical, which aims on the one hand at the

development of the spirit of the students and on the other hand at the expressive

management of the students' body. Regarding the kinesiological field, the

theatrical method includes a wide range of exercises and games: body and

movement exercises, fantasy games, pantomime, improvisation,

dramatization, theatrical analogy, sketches, etc. Through them, students learn

how to move, act and use the space. Drama Education at school, in general,

contributes significantly to the exercise, education, development of the

student's personality and its ability to create as a individual but also in a team

(Tawalbeh, 2020).

Since 1993, Jonathan Neeland has been proposing the new

opportunities new technology presents in the learning process, as students have

to use digital tools and computer science creatively and imaginative so that

they understand their power (Neelands, 1993).

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The term "cyberspace" has been firstly used by the American-Canadian

author William Gibson in his 1984 published cyber-punk Roman

Neuromancer (Gibson, 1984) and since then the term has been used generally

to describe the world in which there is a human-computer interface (Davis,

2006, pp. 91-103). Janet Murray, invented the term "cyberdrama" in her book

Hamlet on the Holodeck: The future of narrative in cyberspace, proposing the

re-invention of the art of narration with the use of modern digital media,

through more expressive stories (Murray, 1997, p. 271). The art of theatre

defined either as cybertheatre, cyberdrama, or cyberperformance, is a genre

that uses the internet as a performance space, namely a cyberstage

(Chatzichristodoulou, 2012). In my study, from now on, the term

cyberperformance will be used, because I think it fits better the action of

performing in front of spectators. Besides, the internet can be used for the

development of intermedial performance, which can be enriched with music,

effects, animation, and even digital storytelling (Caroll, 2002, pp. 130-141 and

Muñoz, Marchesoni & Costa, 2011, pp. 110-118). As Erika Fischer-Lichte has

proven, intermediality, is taken for granted in theatre, as theatre is a medium

that combines the technology with human abilities (Fischer-Lichte, 2005, p.

357). Through many different features provided by digital technologies and

the internet, one can create an entire performance and present it in cyberspace

(Davis, 2011, p. 107).

In order to create a cyberformance, it is necessary to have liveness and

interactivity, as these two things connect theatre and the internet together,

where the latter enables real-time engagement (Papagiannouli, 2016, p. 10). Ιn

this case the performers do not pretend to ignore the spectator, but instead

interact with him and us a result the spectator is not a passive observer

(Lehmann, 2006, p. 144). Τhus the term interactivity is central to the

computing experience, while cyberspace offers different spaces for role

creation and interaction (Davis, 2011, pp. 149-167).

3 Previous research

Τhe positive effect of the Drama Education lesson on students has been proven

in practice and has been theoretically described in the literature. With the

dramatic method in education, which is a teaching method that enhances

communication, students experience a sense of socialization (İşyar, 2017, pp.

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215-230). Drama in education provides personal development, improves self-

confidence and self-esteem and leads to a positive increase in students'

perception of their own abilities (İşyar, 2017, p. 225). Teachers and

professionals with a strong educational focus have already adopted applied

drama at school developing a series of drama techniques, involving

participants in the production of projects as if they were some kind of

professionals in this field (Carroll, 2009, pp. 81-96). Although the above

process seems to be creative, existing research has not explored much about it

(Tawalbeh, Marsafawy & Roy, 2019).

Digital technology has been introduced in the school, however the

environment in which teachers work is characterized by bureaucracy, which

often leads to stagnation of the modern teaching methods. In this context, there

are educators who welcome and use modern technology and others who resist

innovation.. (Carroll, Chin, Rosson & Neale, 2001, p. 239). Besides, it has

been observed that the use of mobile phones or computers may have a negative

impact on learning through distraction, as in the case of intruding calls during

class hours (Darko-Adjei, 2019, p. 14), or impaired literacy skills and

dehumanization of education (Alhumaid, 2019, pp. 10-20). Ηowever, the

impact of technology on our lives is an irreversible process and the use of

mobile phones/smartphones and tablets has also positive aspects both on the

educational method and the learning process (Montrieux, Vanderlinde,

Schellens, & De Marez, 2015). Teachers have various technological tools at

their disposal and can integrate in teaching, video and audiovisual systems,

mobile phones, computers, tablets etc. (Muttappallymyalil, 2016). The use of

modern technological means can bring significant benefits to educational

process, as students of all levels have the opportunity to interact (Rackaway,

2012, pp. 189-200), and develop multiple skills (Woods & Rosenberg, 2016).

In addition to videos, technological advancement allows the

implementation of virtual teaching rooms. In this case, the virtual classrooms

are online platforms through which students receive information from a

qualified educational through an interactive environment. For its

implementation modern technology methods should be used, as well as

specific softwares, such as WebEx and Zoom. These media allow students and

teachers to communicate by using cameras, microphones and chat in real time.

Finally, it has been observed that this method allows students to ask questions

and receive educational materials electronically (Woods & Rosenberg, 2016).

Besides, teaching with technology does not mean just a simple use of hardware

and software, but also a human-centered use of technology and interaction

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within cyberspace (Davis, 2009, p. 150). Participatory planning is essentially

a reciprocal process of learning, interaction and thus personal development for

the participants (Carroll, Chin, Rosson & Neale, 2001, p. 249). The

introduction of interactive technology, is the integration of synchronous and

asynchronous collaborative work and the interaction between virtual school

and home (Carroll, et al., 2001, p. 250).

Drama Education at school is a lesson that certainly takes into account

and is being influenced by the general theatrical developments. Μodern

theatrical developments have brought cyberperformanceto the fore. Besides,

the idea is to use the internet as a cyberstage, in order to create a live and

mediating experience (Papagiannouli, 2011, p. 61). In our days, online

performance practices in virtual worlds (Giannachi, 2004), through video

conferencing, performance of diffuse and mobile technologies, called

cyberperformance, show that the genre innovates in dramatic, aesthetic,

conceptual and social terms (Chatzichristodoulou, 2012).

Besides, concepts that are central to human/computer experiences

(Davis, 2009, pp. 6-19), have been expanded in some cases, in such a way, in

order to solve other problems as well. In Japan, for example, researchers have

found that a large percentage of the younger generation have not read old

Japanese fairy tales because they find high-tech video games more exciting

than picture books (Matsuda, Morita, and Shindo, 2003). To fill this gap, the

research team developed since 2003 a new educational support tool called

Cyber Theater. Cyber Theater makes it easy to create a 3D-CG animation of a

children's story using the scripting language called CTSL (Cyber Theater

Scenario Language). Thus teachers will be able to use cyber stories as teaching

material in primary schools and students will be able to create their own CG-

animation stories (Matsuda, Morita, & Shindo, 2003).

4 Theoretical basis

Μy theoretical perspective is based on the key concepts of phenomenology in

relation to theatre and on Paul McIntosh theory of reflectivity in research

practice. I rely on Edmund Husserl's approach that rejects the belief that

objects in the outside world exist independently of our consciousness (Husserl,

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1913, pp. 87-94). Reality is thus treated as a pure "phenomenon" that is

consciously experienced, and so the purpose of the phenomenological study is

to describe a specific phenomenon while highlighting the experience of the

participants in this phenomenon (Eagleton, 1983, p. 55). According to Erika

Fischer-Lichte analysis, phenomenology in performance studies does not deal

with the "reading" of signs as a relationship between signifier and signified,

but considers that meaning can be found in the action of a performance and in

the presence of bodies, seeking to describe the effect that such situations or

presences have on the spectator (Fischer-Lichte, 2009, p. 78-79).

Thus, the main issues of my research analysis are the relationship of

the body with the space and the relations between performers and spectators

in the space. Physical or digital spaces that exist in the wider social space of

the community, are activated as stage spaces when they are occupied by the

presence of performers. The relationship between performers and spectators in

these spaces creates the fictional places of the performances (McAuley, 2000,

p. 7). In accordance with the theory of phenomenology, performance is defined

as an event (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 18). This means that theatre is based on

the "production" of meaning and its "reception" by the spectators (Fischer-

Lichte, 2008, p. 18). Production refers to the production processes of a

performance and therefore to those who create it and produce it (Fischer-

Lichte, 2008, p. 18). Reception refers to the process of reaction to

performances the spectators attend (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 18). In

performance, an automatic feedback loop exists (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 38).

That means, there is a simultaneous production and reception and an ever-

changing feedback loop is created "during the interaction between actors and

spectators" (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 38), while this self-reported automation

system "ensures that performance remains unpredictable and spontaneous to

some extent" (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 38). To put it in another way

performance is a phenomenon that manifests itself before our eyes, at the time

of its production ant it is not fixed nor can it be repeated in exactly the same

way, as each time has its uniqueness.

Furthermore, in this case my role was that of a participating observer

of the performances, a researcher, who observed the object of research, having

participated directly in its creation. I observed, recorded, and analyzed the

event and people interactions. I believe that the phenomenological approach

fits the concept of reflection as a cognitive practice in the field of research,

which is based on qualitative research and it is used to legitimize and validate

research processes. As Paul McIntosh has proven, action research and

reflective practice is a creative approach that can be used effectively, creating

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a new style of research that is innovative in theory and enhances the

understanding of facts (McIntosh, 2010). Action research integrates research

and action. It is conducted by a collaborative partnership of participants and

researchers (McIntosh, 2010, p. 38). According to McIntosh, in action

research, participants are activated by the opportunity to be creative, there is

creative space for dialogue and a regaining of spirit and collaboration

(McIntosh, 2010, p. 184). Besides, it is a process in which researchers put

themselves and their practices under control, recognizing the ethical dilemmas

that permeate the research (Mortari, 2015, pp. 1-9).

The phenomenological approach can be a valid theory of reflection,

capable of improving the work of the researcher, as it allows the researcher to

understand what cognitive postures must be cultivated to become reflective.

Phenomenological reflection is a basic cognitive practice based on observation

and cognitive experience, allowing researchers to make a real reflective

practice (Mortari, 2015, pp. 1–9).

5 Methodology

5.1 Purpose and aims

In order to achieve the goal of this study, ie to highlight how the introduction

of new technologies in Drama Education at school can renew the context in

which performance projects take place and how the limitations imposed by a

pandemic like COVID-19 can be overcome, the following questions must be

answered:

1. What are the benefits of using Digital tools in performance projects with

students at School?

2. How can a cyberperformance take place at school?

3. What kind of engagement and interction is being created between

performers and spectators during a digital- and a cyberperformance?

The study is basically exploratory, as it is carried out when its main problem

is at a preliminary stage, and focuses: firstly on creating a "new art of school

performance", in an emerging field that combines drama and technology and

secondly on exploring the nature of spectators' involvement. In order to answer

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the above questions, the study used the method of "applied research", as it aims

to find solutions that may incorporate emerging technologies in school

performances and try to suggest a practical solution to a problem that has

affected our society. Besides, the component of the sudy was qualitative in

nature with the data being collected through the two performative projects.

Τhe projects are in the center of research and as a result they will be described,

analyzed, but at the same time they aim to propose a method of creating digital

and cyberdperformances at school. In the background of the realization of

these projects, the pedagogical character of the theatre played a central role,

while through their participation, students gained experiences with different

artistic ways of expression.

Besides, digital media have been used to create the projects, as well as

programming, in order to create the interactivity between performers and

spectators., This interaction and enhanced by the use of technology in various

ways.

Τhe cyberperformance project was set up on the Ζoom webinar, which

is a free software program that provides a video chat service that allows up to

100 simultaneous spectators. Moreover, spectators were encouraged to create

a continual dialogue-exchange in the chat space. These dialogues are examined

with the use of the Orange 3 software, which is an open-source machine

learning and data mining toolkit to perform data analysis and visualization.

5.2 Ethical issues

Ιn this work the ethical principles are respected and the information used is

anonymous. We must keep in mind that the violation of personal rights is not allowed

and where photographs, or text representations are used, this includes not only the

consent of the persons concerned or their right holders, but also the possibility of

withdrawal.

5.3 The projects as research material

My profession as a Drama Education teacher began, as I already said, in

September 2020, at a private school in Eberswalde, Germany. Μore

specifically, I was hired to teach in a vocational high-school (Berufsschule).

The German vocational high-school is a secondary school that offers

theoretical and vocational training. In the state of Brandenburg, where the city

of Eberswalde belongs the vocational high-school begins with the seventh

grade and after grade 13, students earn a diploma called “Abitur” by passing

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their final exams. I was hired to teach in grades 12 and 13, where the students

are between 17 and 19 years old, i.e. some of them in grade 13 have become

adults. Drama Education combines creative and dramatic elements, focuses on

the issues of movement, voice, improvisation, stagecraft, narration, but also

aims to motivate students to realize during the school year different

performances.

Thus, in the first project, the students of the 12th grade were asked to

create a mixed-digital-media performance, using as a pre-text the German fairy

tale collected by the Brothers Grimm Mrs. Holle. My role was that of the

project organizer and animator. The students had to introduce their own ideas,

the project would be based on improvisation, however I had to guide the

rehearsals. Furthermore, in this case my role was that of a participating

observer, a researcher, who observes the object of research, having

participated directly in its creation. We started the rehearsals in mid-October

and at the same time, a page in school’s Blackboard for the drama was created

and for a month various material - including short video clips, text and audio

clips - were uploaded. The students created their character and narrative

through their contribution to the rehearsals and the Blackboard. Information

were collected from the students in the project, with particular emphasis on the

types of their activities and the music they prefer. We worked on the roles,

causing further dramatic action through the introduction of additional narrative

twists in the pre-text and the music.

We decided that the project would make use of technology by using a

digital cinema projector and at the same time there would be an interaction

with the spectators. The projector replaced the sets. Different sceneries have

been activated, a village with little houses where the fairy tale takes place,

animals, a market, the oven where the village breads are baked, the paradise

with the talking trees, as well as different sounds or musical themes. To

achieve the interaction, we used the programming language Python. This

choice was a challenge for me, as I had to put into practice the basic knowledge

I have in Python programming language. Python is a high-level, general-

purpose programming language with dynamic semantics. It is attractive for

fast application development, as well as for use as a scripting language or for

linking existing components and its syntax emphasizes readability and

supports modules that encourage program configuration and code reuse

(Montfort, 2016, pp. 17-23). In our case,we created some dialogs and

commands using the Thonny Python Integrated Development Environment

that is especially designed for beginners and supports different ways to go

through the code.

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The project started presenting the rich widow, who favors her little

biological daughter, allowing her to remain inactive while outsourcing all

work to her stepdaughter (Goldmarie). One day, the spindle of Goldmarie fell

from her hand and fell into a well. She feared that she would be punished for

losing the spindle, and in panic she leapt into the well after it. The girl was

found in a meadow, where there was an oven, an apple tree and a house.

At this point, Thonny Python was activated and the following message

appeared on the spectator's computer screen:

Welcome to the meadow!

What is the name of the protagonist of the fairy tale?

Once the correct answer was given, the program responded the following:

Hello Goldmarie!

Goldmarie Υou are in the middle of the meadow.

You can go to the Oven, Tree, House.

Where do you want to go?

Τhe spectator must decide where Goldmarie will go. Τhe percentages of the

answers determine the order in which Goldmarie will select to go to the oven,

the tree and the house.

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When the girl comes upon the oven, the bread asks to be taken out before it

burned. When she comes to the apple tree, the tree says that its apples have to

be harvested. Finally, when she goes to the house, the old lady Mrs. Holle

allows her to stay there if she would help with the housework. Mrs. Holle is

hosting Golmarie. After a while, the girl asked Frau Holle to return home. At

this point of the performance, Thonny Python was activated again and the

following message appeared on the spectator's computer screen:

how long do you feel you are in the meadow?

Εach spectator gives his own answer about how long Goldmarie is in meadow

(the fairy tale does not give a clear time after all). Τhe program responds by

telling him/her that "This is a long time!" and:

It is time for you to return home.

Do you want to take your spindle with?

Τhe spectator is asked to respond, to receive the answer:

You should take it with you and keep it safe! Bye!

Mrs. Holle was impressed by the kindness and hard work of the girl and when

she accompanied the girl to the exit gate, bathed her in gold. The performance

ended with a combination of cheerful music, dance by the student performers

and a parallel video projection.

The 2nd project was created with the 13th grade. Due to the pandemic caused

by COVID-19, Germany recorded more than 10,000 coronavirus deaths until

December 2020. As a result, the government imposed a series of restrictions

since 16 December due to an increase in new infections. Restaurants, bars,

shops and theatres had to close their doors, a limit was applied to group

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gatherings, and 50% distance learning at schools was applied. For this reason,

this time we were not allowed to host live spectators.

My desire to overcome the limitations imposed by the pandemic led

me to choose the solution of presenting a performance using technology and a

platform as a cyberstage. So, during the first rehearsals I spent considerable

time with my students talking about what the cyberperformance might be

about, where it should be situated and what form it might take. It was decided

that we would be based on the text: A not entirely successful theatre rehearsal

of the ‘Theatre Circle of Friends Niedertupfelbach’ (Eine nicht ganz geglückte

Theaterprobe des „Theaterfreundeskreises Niedertupfelbach“), by Andreas

Heck. It is a short sketch play rehearsal of the famous "balcony scene" of

Romeo and Juliet. The play has 6 roles: Manfred as Julia (male, later wearing

a wig), Stefanie as Romeo (with sword, homosexuel), Emil as Tybalt, Heiner

as nightingale, Caretaker Kawulke and Günther as director.

While theoretically the spectator could be anyone with access, the fact

that the project had an experimental character, as we would realize it for the

first time, led us to decide hosting 12 teachers as live spectators.

Τhe whole project was set up on the Ζoom webinar, providing a video

and a chat servicefor the spectators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there

was a significant increase in the use of Zoom for remote work, distance

education, as well as online social networking. In our case, Zoom worked as a

cyberstage and the spectator was free to use the chat-room to comment or even

having a dialogue with each other.

We divided into two groups / types of spectators: one group was made

up from six teachers, who attended the performance in the school, wearing

FFP2 masks and the second was made up from the rest six of them, who were

at home watching from their own screen. Thonny application was installed in

all the personal computers., as well as inthe computer at school room.

I started the performance with a warm-up exercise imitating an online

map tool showing the position of the spectators on the map to create a shared

experience. This was a method to enhance the sense of coexistence between

the spectators, who could thus know how many people share the same

information space with them.. On the "map", the presence of the public was

noted with dots, as we can see in the following figure:

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Figure 1. Google maps: ‚The spectators in the map’.

Τhe performance began with the following recorded message by the students:

"the following program is unsuitable for those who do not have humor".

Stefanie entered first listening loudly to her cell phone the song Barbie Girl

by Aqua. She was dancing and urged the spectators to dance too, following

her movements. The spectators started dancing and became visible on the

screens. Τhen Manfred entered, listening to a hip hop song on his cell phone.

He danced and urged the spectators to do hip hop dance moves. Τhen Heiner

entered playing the flute and urges the spectators to make light movements and

at the end comes the porter listening to the song Am Fester by City.

The spectators sat down and directly used the chat-room for general

conversation, making comments about the performance:

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3: Maria has awesome dancing skills

1: hahahah! She drove us crazy!

2: "Barbie Girl"… this is a song of our generation…

9: will we have surprises in the internet environment?

11: we will see…

6: I do not have a good relationship with technology, but it might be

interesting

9: we have been doing digital lessons for so long, you have definitely gained

intimacy.

8: Hahahahhaha ΝΟΤ PART OF THE PLAN to dance today

12: this is the next step, to watch digital theatre.

5: Am Fester is a song from East Germany.

1: Ιt has been a long time since I listened to this song, but even more time to

attend a performance

11: Me too… I missed theatre

4: We used to listen to it in the ‘80s.

At the same time the performance continued:

Director: Okay, let's start then. We play out the well-known balcony scene

Romeo and Juliet. Juliet, so Manfred, you're standing with Romeo, on the

balcony, Tybalt you up here in the background and look at them

Balcony scene. Heiner, is the nightingale ready? (all take their positions)

Nightingale: What now, nightingale or lark?

At this point, Thonny Python was activated and the following message

appeared on the spectator's computer screen:

What now, nightingale or lark?

(N)ightingale, (L)ark,:

16

Input: l

start singing like a lark...

Thus, each spectator had to decide if he/she would be a nightingale or a lark

and then there is an interaction, as they are motivated to imitate the bird they

have chosen.

They commented the following in the chat-room:

11: Well, this is a way for young people to spend most of their time using the

Internet when they are bored.

2: YeH:

4. Forums and chatrooms, and looking up really weird sites, like flahs sites.

8: funny things?

3: To be real, what? Easy access and use?

9: Yes, and a quick dialogue.

12: you have the theatre in your house, you do not need to go there

6: So you don#t want to have to look for it?

1: You don t want to have to look for it, you do not want to have to wait there

for longer than…

7: In the midst of a pandemic, whatever applies to work applies to

entertainment

8: Yes indeed! It is an alternative!

9: Its got to be something a little bit different -something you can’t get on

T:V. In other case, why would you go to all that effort for something like the

spot when you just turn on the T.V.

10: here, we also make choices.

11: true! This makes you think that if you do not look at it, that you are gonna

miss out.

5: Like it is more democratic or something like that

17

12: for the gym teacher it is definitely an unprecedented experience! with

difficulty knows how to open the computer!hahha

3: hahahhahha.

1: What I know is how to go to a site that just has funny videos - like all the

different funny videos. As there are piles of them and they update them every

few days with new videos. Its funny. I was never used to it, but lately….

Because I'm home all the time.

4: Because they are funny, I laugh.

6: Are they animations or videos?

9: Videos, very funny videos in, except that some are not just funny. Some of

them are like "wow".

10: concentrate now on the digital performance! It is also ‘wow’

5: the performance is cool

2: So how do you find Νik, as a caretaker, who has such a tough accent?

3: I just enjoyed it more.. I just enjoy action more.

6: yeah! Strange!

11: in fact the thoughts for such a performance came amid a pandemic! …

12: But part of the fun of the Internet for young people is that you can send

these things to each other, and look at these things.

5: Like it is more democratic or something like that.

Τowards the end of the project there is the following dialogue in the

performance:

Romeo: Cruel wickedness that brought you here to this place.

Julia: Oh Romeo, I itch so much. Uh, oh Romeo, I'm so afraid!

Romeo (jumps from the balcony) So cruel Tybald we face, from man to man

and fight to the death. Uh, I forgot my sword.

Regisseur: OUT! It's a catastrophy. Emil, what about your sword and

Manfred, why are you scratching yourself on a tour?

18

At this point, the Thonny Python Integrated Development Environment was

activated and the following message appeared on the spectator's computer

screen:

Choose whether Romeo will duel or the performance will stop abruptly

press (B)ag to search in the bag, or Q(uit) to stop the performance:

At this point the spectator is asked to decide whether Romeo will look in the

bag on the stage or whether the play will end at this point.The spectators had

to press (B) and then the following message appeared:

Romeo opens the bag that is on stage...

in the bag there are stage objects. He has to select one to duel:

- PLASTIC SWORD

- PLASTIC AX

- PLASTIC TUNCHEON

Thus, the next message is being activated:

Υou have to choose with which object Romeo will duel:(S)word, (A)x,

(T)uncheon

press(S) for SWORD, (A) for AX, (T) for TUNCHEON:

Depending on what the spectators choose, Romeo chooses to duel with the

corresponding object. For example:

Input: T

Romeo takes the TUNCHEON

19

The performance ends with the duel between Romeo and Tybald.

6 Analysis

During participant observation, I had to play two roles at the same time, the

one who organized the projects and the rehearsals and the objective researcher.

Thus, I must point out that the following results are filtered, to some extent,

through my personal interpretive frameworks, but at the same time they are

shaped by the formative theoretical framework, which I developed in Chapter

four of my thesis.

Regarding the digital performance project, since student performers

were already involved in creating the characters, they quickly found the right

attitude and response to the material when it came time to begin the rehearsals.

The fairy tale was staged during the last week of November 2020, in a hall

where laptops were placed in front of the seat of each spectator and Thonny

Python has been downloaded. The hall used is the one where the school events

usually take place. In this way nothing changed in the habits of the students

and the spectators. The hall is used to create a sense of one shared space and

indeed seeing the spectators around you creates a sense of community.

Α main benefit was the very digital nature of the project, relied on the use of

the projector that gave the opportunity to activate different sceneries, project

videos, play different sounds and musical themes. Besides, it quickly became

apparent that digital video was a powerful medium by which students had to

identify themselves. This happened, because in some way, the projector

undertakes the role of a digital actor (Masura, 2020, p. 4). Through background

projection, motion is integrated into the visual spectacle. Location changes can

now occur between scene changes and without the need for other scenic

equipment. The digital settings can be easily changed and changes, from small

to more complex, can occur throughout the action. Thus, the project Mrs. Holle

well illustrates the spatial interaction (SI) theme (Hornecker and Buur 2006,

20

p. 442). The body is being perceived by the others, as a moving body in the

space and at the same time gives the form of the character / hero for the

spectator. Parallel to this, the displayed objects can have their own life and

continue to evolve, as for example in my case the village with small houses

where the fairy tale takes place, the animals, a market, the oven where the

village breads are baked, the paradise with talking trees. Thus, the "living"

actor is combined with non-human actors. Essentially, not only sets and stage

objects were replaced, but also characters with digital technology, ie in a way

the non-organic factor (Masura, 2020, p. 4). In this project, performers and

spectators were in the same space and so on an ever-changing feedback loop

was created, which made the performance being unpredictable and

spontaneous to some extent.

The cyberperformance project, took theatre's relationship with the

digital world one step further, while at the same time it provided a solution to

a real problem in the midst of a pandemic crisis, i.e. the fact that the spectators

could not attend a performance up close. The use of the internet to create a live

synchronous performance using an internet platform as a stage, allows for real-

time engagement. Traditionally, theatre building is a specific meeting place,

where actors and spectators meet. In cyberperformance, spectator members

participate remotely from the comfort of their home, from anywhere in the

world using a screen directly positioned in front of their eyes to be fully

immersed. What is lost in this case is the notion of body naturalness and the

physical presence of actors and spectators. Τhe physical presence of a

community of people is what traditionally signifies the artistic event in the

place where it takes place. In my case, in order to fill this gap somehow, I

chose to visualize the presence of spectators in different places in Eberswalde

using a digital map and the location of each spectator.

However, the basis or the performative transformation of the stage is not in the

space of the building and the stage itself, but in the common space and what

happens between actors and spectators. Besides, the loss of common space

brought loss of the automatic feedback loop. There was no spontaneous

interaction between actors and spectators and thus the unpredictability of the

performance depended only on the unexpected improvisation of the

performers.

My projects introduced a concept of interactivity, which has also been

relied on technology with the use of programming language and specifically

the Python language. As long as Thonny Python was activated, it strengthened

the spectator's attention, as the latter had to answer questions, in order the

21

program to move to the next question. It is an ‘artificial’ interaction, because

of the use of the mediatized technology and the fact that it is not a completely

free kind of interaction, but instead of this the questions and commands

themselves set some limits.

Besides, the key elements for developing this form of interactive

performance are the management of the process and what are often seen as the

competing demands of creating satisfactory narrative as well as engaging

interactive experiences (Davis, 2011, p. 107). In these new forms of theatre

that I explored, new combinations of engagement and immersion are

developed. The spectator's participation in the way the story will develop, can

arouse interest more and cause him a more emotional form of immersion

(Reaney, 1999, pp. 183-88). The way the narrative was set up, offered an

engagement because it was interactive in the sense that the spectator chose the

action in the story. In some way the spectator is called to participate in the

scenes, as he has the power to direct the narrative and make use of the

information given to him.

It is this function that further expands the dipole: ”production” and

“reception”’ (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 18). There is no performance,

independent of its creator and at the same time of its recipient. Instead, we are

dealing with an event that involves everyone though handling information

differently, but participates in action decisions. Essentially, the focus of this

process is no longer the work of art, which emerged from the activities of the

creators, but an event, which evolves and completes with the actions of all

involved (Fischer-Lichte, 2008, p. 22).

However, there is an essential difference between a digital and a cyber

performance. Since in the case of the cyber performance there are no spectators

and actors in the same space and the automatic feedback loop is lost, the

‘artificial’ interaction that we created with the use of technology and Python

language, is considered necessary to create the feeling of coexistence. While

in the case of the digital performance the ‘artificial’ interaction is an element

that is added, in order to give the spectators, the right to choose the action that

will follow, in the case of the cyber performance it enhances the coexistence,

by giving the spectators, the right to choose. Thus, the advantages of cyber

performance, as well as its limitations are highlighted.

While this way of interaction and participation was introduced through

the use of the personal computer to make decisions about the action of the

performance, the second project introduced one more dimension, that of

22

interaction and dialogue between spectators via multiparticipant chat. This

gave the opportunity to the spectators to have a creative or entertaining

dialogue and at the same time to comment on the performance they attended.

At the same time their dialogue and their comments gave feedback to the

project and became material for my research. In other words, it was a way to

reflect synchronously on their experiences. Besides, chatting is a form of

microtext with essentially computer-mediated sentences (Uthusa and Ahab,

2013, p. 116).

From the beginning of the dialogue there is a valuation of the

performers' abilities, in this case the dance abilities of a performer, while the

spectators were waiting for something exciting or unexpected thing to happen:

3: Maria has awesome dancing skills

1: hahahah! She drove us crazy!

2: "Barbie Girl"… this is a song of our generation…1

9: will we have surprises in the internet environment?

Attending a performance with this kind of intermediality, where the physical

body and the voice being expressed through a digital environment causes

excitement in the spectators, surprise, but also the feeling that something

unexpected will happen. Furthermore, the spectators addressed the issue of

technology in different parts of the chat dialogue:

6: I do not have a good relationship with technology, but it might be

interesting

9: we have been doing digital lessons for so long, you have definitely gained

intimacy.

Besides, the fact that the issue of technology has become a topic of discussion

becomes apparent after the analysis of the dialogue with the software Orange

3. I have copied the text in txt files and I have used import documents to upload

1 This comment refers to the song: Am Fenster, 1978 by the rock band City. Τhis song was

very popular in Εast Germany.

23

the files. I added a stop words txt. text, in order to avoid the most common

used words. In this way, topics, words and names that relate to my texts begin

to clarify. For example: ‘digital’, ‘video’, ‘technology’, ‘internet’,

‘performance’ that begin to give an initial picture of the content of the texts:

Figure 2. Orange 3: word clowd.

The nature of chat is part of the digital experience and the human-computer

interface. For one performance taking place in this context, it becomes obvious

that users expect to be able to participate in the process of influencing it.

People do not want to spend lengths of time on the as a passive spectator and

this becomes apparent in the dialogues:

24

10: here, we also make choices.

11: true! This makes you think that if you do not look at it, that you are gonna

miss out.

5: Like it is more democratic or something like that

Although it is impossible to determine the nature of the commitment for all, it

may become apparent that the interaction enhances public attention and at the

same time a sense of democracy in deciding on the continuation of the project.

In addition, the issue of theatre itself was discussed:

1: Ιt has been a long time since I listened to this song, but even more time to

attend a performance

11: Me to… I miss going to the theatres

…….

12: you have the theatre in your house, you do not need to go there

6: So you don#t want to have to look for it?

1: You don t want to have to look for it, you do not want to have to wait there

for longer than…

7: In the midst of a pandemic, whatever applies to work applies to

entertainment

8: Yes indeed! It is an alternative!

9: Its got to be something a little bit different -something you can’t get on

T:V. In other case, why would you go to all that effort for something like the

spot when you just turn on the T.V.

As it turns out, the issue Ι raised above, the fact that someone does not need to

go to a specific place to attend a performance but this can be done comfortably

from home, without wasting time, was commented on as something positive.

It also became apparent that efforts like these began as a solution in presenting

25

performances during the COVID-19 pandemic period. There are media that

allow the user to sit, relax and receive information in a passive way, such as

‘traditional theatre’, movies and TV, while there are also ways in which the

user can interact and control the flow of information, such as in our case while

answering questions or making decisions about the continuation of the

performance.

Τhe fact that the digital and the cyber performance are synchronous

performances with the right to interaction, makes them differ from the film

recorded ones. Due to physical distancing requirements, in the midst of the

COVID pandemic, public performances were banned and many theatre

institutes tried to adapt by offering online streaming recorded performances.

Οnline recorded performances found a great response from spectators.

Nevertheless, the interest for recorded performances began in the 1960s, when

many artists became familiar with the use of new technological means to

document the performances that are transient. These are, for example, the

recorded performances Dionysus at 69 and Celtic + ~~~, which serve both as

historical sources today, as well as film material of the '60s and '70s available

to the public (Fischer-Lichte, 2009, p. 70). However, there is a difference

between on-line synchronous performance and mediatized performance. The

fact that the mediatized performance is asynchronous excludes the concept of

interaction. In the case of digital and cyber performances, digital media are

used for interaction that can work in live performance, so live goes far beyond

mediated performance in terms of interactivity.

In fact, the chat functioned as a way of acting for the spectators and at

the same time as a reflection on our project. Besides, spectators are familiar

with it, as in our days the way in which most people discover websites or more

generally new information related to study, work or entertainment interests is

through chat. It was a rather spontaneous way of reflection and at the same

time objective, as it was part of a context in which the spectators expressed

themselves with humor and jokes. Itbecame clear that this context of the

performance signaled interest in similar future projects and raised awareness

for future spectators, but perhaps something more. It was the validation of the

existence of a new kind of performance that can take place even at school. It

is a recognition that we can be creative even in difficult times, in times when

we are forced to limit our social contacts.

26

7 Discussion

The study was basically exploratory and the questions asked, have been

answered by describing and analyzing two exemplary projects carried out by

the researcher himself with students in the city of Eberswalde, Germany during

the school year 2020-2021. In the first project, the students of the 12th grade

were asked to create a mixed-digital-media performance, using a projector and

at the same time the programming language Python, in order to create an

interaction with the spectators. A new experience emerged for students and

spectators, as sets and stage objects were replaced through the

projectionandthus, the "living" actor was combined with non-organic, non-

human actors. Besides, the key elements for the development of this form of

interactive drama was the management of the development of the story by the

spectators. Thus, new combinations of devotion and immersion are developed,

as this function further extends the dipole: "production" and "reception"

showing that a performance is always dependent on the relationship between

its creator and its recipient at the time it takes place.

As for the cyberperformance project, implemented by the 13th grades, I have

developed a method of presenting a performance that makes use of the internet

as a platform in real time. Thus, it provided a solution to a real problem in the

midst of a pandemic crisis, namely the fact that the spectators could not attend

a performance up close. Of course, what is lost in this case is the sense of the

naturalness of the body and the physical presence of the actors and the

spectators. Theatre is essentially a relationship between performer, spectator

and the space in which both meet. The theatrical building and the way the stage

is structured to frame the performance, ie the organization of the spectator and

practitioner spaces inside the building, affect the relationship between the real

space of the theatre and the imaginary parts that are evoked (McAuley, 1999).

The positive fact in a cyberperformance is that it can be attended

simoultaneously by spectators from all over the world. In this case, new

communities are being created and people with different background are

coming into contact with each other.

In terms of interactivity, the same method was used with the digital

project, so that the performance arose not only from the activities of the

creators, but as an event, which evolved and completed with the actions of all

involved. In addition, in the cyberperformance project, a new dimension has

27

been introduced, that of interaction and dialogue between the spectators

through the conversation of many participants. This gave the spectators the

opportunity to have a creative or fun dialogue and at the same time it was a

way to reflect on their experience from the performance, something that gave

material to my research. Besides, through the comments of the dialogues it

becomes clear that the cyberperformance was a successful alternative within

the pandemic period.

The impact of accumulated experience has proven to be good, especially

in relation to student preparation activities. The performances presented a high

but feasible challenge level and were associated with a positive mindset. They

used digital media, which are familiar to students, but also the internet as a

communication space, developing a degree of intimacy and interaction

between performers and members of the public and among the allocated spaces

where the performances took place.

8 Conclusion

The problem addressed in this essay was to point out how the introduction of

new technologies in Drama Education at school can renew the context in

which performance projects are carried out and how the limitations imposed

by a pandemic such as those caused by COVID-19 can be overcome. My

research on this problem involved the implementation of one performance

project at school which used mixed-digital media and another

cyberperformance, which was presented in the middle of lockdown in

Germany and for which the internet was used as a stage. The

phenomenological method in performance studies was used to analyze the

projects, as theatre is an event that takes place between its creators and its

spectators. At the same time, myself was part of the creation, and an observer

of the events, which I recorded and analyzed. My research also included a

reflective practice dimension, as in the second project the spectators

commented on it through their dialogues in chat forums.

I argue that using digital tools in school performances a new experience

emerges for students and the public, as the "living" actor is combined with

28

non-organic, non-human actors. As for the cyberperformance it provides a

solution to a real problem in the midst of a pandemic crisis, as the spectators

participate remotely from the comfort of their own home. Cyberperformance

does not replace live theatre, because it does not require actors and spectators

to be in the same physical space. Nevertheless, it is a genre that is likely to

evolve and expand in the coming years. Besides, in terms of interactivity, by

giving the spectators the opportunity to use some information or to choose the

action of the play, the performance becomes more interesting, as the nature of

theatre itself is being highlighted, as an event that happens here and now, while

it is different from other media such as T.V. or cinema. Finally, the creative

dialogue in the cyber performance chat was a positive reflection to both the

project, supporting the results of my research.

The present study revealed some guidelines for future research. Some

of the topics touched upon here that could be further investigated include the

further integration of digital media into a performance, acting and the

opportunity given to teachers and students to experiment with an empty stage.

Research on acting in cybertheatre is vital for the study of its intermediate

character and for how students can develop their skills within it. Another

interesting research topic is about experimenting in cyberdrama, with digital

internet tools that can create real-time scenery, such as digital drawing tools

(Bohse & Rebekka, 2020, pp. 321-340).

Theatre fulfills the urge to imagine things that may seem incompatible

now, but will happen in the future. Drama Education at school remains a

powerful vehicle through which new thoughts of students bloom and are

released. This is the main contribution of the digital- and cybertheatre: students

to express what could not to be expressed before, or else, it could not be

expressed in a time of global crisis, such as this pandemic crisis of our time.

29

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10 Appendix

Original versions of the commands processed in Thonny Python

environment

Figure 1. Thonny, Python: "Welcome to the meadow".

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Figure 2. Thonny, Python: "Leaving the meadow".

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Figure 3. Thonny, Python: "nightingale or lark".

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Figure 4. Thonny, Python: "Duel".

Figure 5. Thonny, Python: "Objects".