Hey guys! It’s been awhile since I updated but here we go! Keeping in mind with the fact that technology is constantly changing and affecting the ways of the theatre. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking of how you can define a good source from a bad source; and it seems pretty easy. Right? As long as it seems like they know what they are talking about you should be able to trust them and be allowed to cite them. But, it’s actually not that easy. You should be able to analyze and read the information given to you and know that it is valid. So as you do research you should be able to identify information that is valid and that you can trust from those that aren’t as trustworthy.
As you guys know, my topic is technology in the theatre. For the past couple of days I’ve been doing some research on the advances it has been making and trying to find examples of both good and bad resources. Like I have said before, it is not always easy to identify one from the other. Obviously, the site should know what they are talking about or have valid information to back themselves up. Since I have been blogging, I have also come across other blogs that have been solely dedicated as “theatre blogs.” They are actually pretty great and very interesting. They have given me a new perspective that I would not have thought to look through. For example, this one blog discusses the issue as to whether theatre is really dead or not. It is a very opinionated blog and while it does have some resources; it’s still just an opinion. You would not want to quote them in a research experiment or paper. Another example of a theatre blog, discusses how theatre should be embracing new digital technology.
Then, I also found some great articles about the advances that theatre is making with digital technology. A news article I found from Science Daily talks about how two universities used 2-D and 3-D technology, scenery, and actors to put on a show. Actors were used from both Canada and Florida and put on a show together without leaving their respective campuses. “That’s how his body was ‘beamed’ onto the stage where he joined live actors from Bradley and another virtual actor from Canada. It was all done in real time and merged with 3-D and 2-D sets on multiple screens.” (ScienceDaily). You know that this is a valid source because it has research from universities and scientists. The other article that I found as a valid source for this topic came from BBC News and talks about a new device in the theatre where audience members can scroll through captions about the performance while sitting there as an audience member. This is also another example of a valid resource because it is from a news station and you most definitely can trust those at all times for their valid resources and trustworthy sites.
If you want to visit these sites they are available down here when you click on the links:
Blog #1: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2010/feb/04/noises-off-theatre-dead-blogs
Blog #2: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2010/mar/23/stage-theatre-digital-technology-ished
News Article #1: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8380266.stm
News Article #2: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070322105323.htm
Excellent contrasts between opinionated bloggers and more factual reports of technological innovations in theatre! Thanks for providing the links too, which will inform our future class discussion. Yes, I knew that with more research, you'd realize how technology is integrating into theater big time and how the art continues to change in response. One can prefer that theatre remain the intimate and personal art form it was originally meant to be but - for better or for worse - there is obviously a significant effort to push the envelope of the art with digital technologies. That alone raises an interesting debate of whether technology mutes or enhances the art.
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