Digital methods for the study of theatre

Digital methods for the study of theatre

Dr. Miguel Escobar Varela

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences National University of Singapore

In his talk, dr. Varela will discuss a range of DH tools to study theatre performances. The first part of the talk looks at quantitative methods to analyze non-textual aspects of theatre. It describes techniques for the analysis of movement (obtained both from video and from motion capture systems), the analysis of relationships (using networks of fictional characters and of performers and crew members) and the analysis of geotemporal data. The second part of the talk considers the role of interaction design in disseminating theatre scholarship through augmented archives, Tangible User Interfaces, and intermedial essays. All the case studies refer to theatre practices in Southeast Asia, but the talk aims to show the more general applicability of these approaches for intangible heritage practices elsewhere in the world.