Robots

My first time rehearsing the robots. Much fun; much of people typing and looking at robots moving. I do love the fact that I can set blocking and the robots remember it (mostly). I only wish robots could improvise. Most likely, though, we'll be able to create an environment in which both the robots and the actors take cues from each other, though inevitably we'll rely on the actors to improvise around the robots as necessary.

As a side note, and not unrelated, NPR ran a story about the potential for computer images to replace live actors in films, such as the digitization of Brad Pitt in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. One of the people in the story commented on the sense of relief when the "real" Brad Pitt emerges on screen, a reaction I also had. But I wonder if we would have such a strong reaction if the actor in question weren't already so well known to us. If we, like the character of Daisy (Cate Blanchett) saw the young image for the first time, occurring as a revelation, rather than a memory.

In terms of WoyUbu, I return to the central question of the tech "wow" factor in live performance. Does the digital image foster a sense of relief when we encounter the flesh and blood being? Will the rise of digital realism on screen, as one of our group speculated last night, return us to the arena of live performance? Or, are the two becoming so entwined that they will not be easily separated?