Biographie
Doug Reside is the Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, where he oversees archival
acquisitions, the Theatre on Film and Tape video documentation program, exhibitions, programs, and researcher support. He also founded a musical theatre writing program in 2013 for emerging theatre makers. Reside holds a PhD from the University of Kentucky (2006). His book, Fixing the Musical: How Technologies Shaped the Broadway Repertory, was published by Oxford University Press in 2023.
Présentation de l'intervention
Theatre makers have been using computers to write and stage productions since the mid-1970s. However, much of the software and hardware used in the first three decades of digitally-assisted productions is now obsolete. Unlike other art forms (such as computer games, photography, and written text), simple software emulation is often insufficient for interpreting the data created for lighting cues, sound effects, and projection designs. These designs often depended on bespoke hardware to execute the production files. In this presentation, New York Public Library theatre curator Doug Reside will discuss his efforts to create an emulator for theatrical productions. This sample recreated the lighting instruments, physical spaces, and scenic designs in virtual reality, allowing it to emulate the actual digital production files preserved in theatre archives. Reside will also outline the still unsolved problem of ensuring this emulator does not become obsolete itself.