‘Theatre of the Future: Chekhov and Performance Capture’ With Charles Douglas

Performance capture is central to 21st century storytelling. These processes are the lifeblood of the global games industry, facilitate the animation of avatars in XR environments, were key to the creation of 9 of the 10 highest-grossing films of all time, and are being widely explored by innovative musicians and theatre makers. However, this futuristic medium challenges the assumptions of traditional artistic practices. While much has been invested in developing the software and hardware that underlie this medium, the technologies enabling the performances at its heart have received comparatively little attention. How can we play in the theatre of the future?

In this practical session, Charles will draw upon his diverse experiences in performance capture contexts. Participants will be invited to explore and discuss a playful development of Michael Chekhov’s work that meets the unique needs of performance capture. This session is relevant to actors, animators, puppeteers, directors, creative technologists, and all those interested in digital performance.

Charles Douglas is an actor, movement and fight director, teacher, and researcher. He teaches at the Vancouver Film School. His work explores movement, bodies, and technology in order to catalyze future storytelling. Charles’ work has included: several productions with the National Arts Centre of Canada’s English Theatre company, the world premiere of Ted Dykstra’s Evangeline (Charlottetown Festival), serving as stunt coordinator for an unannounced AAA game, and assisting movement on the world premiere of Mervyn Millar’s (Warhorse, Significant Object) The Hatchling. Charles has also lent his voice and movement to the XR productions of Dream Adoption Society (Poland) and Single Thread Theatre Company (Canada). He has enjoyed collaborating with Sheridan College’s Screen Industries Research and Training Centre on applied research, including ‘The Digital Stage’ – a long-term inquiry into the digital future of the performing arts, co-pursued by the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company. Charles represented SIRT as a Featured Attendee of the Digital + Performance Convening, hosted by HowlRound and SpiderWebShow (2019 Festival of Live Digital Art). Charles holds an MA in Movement: Directing and Teaching from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and has studied Michael Chekhov’s work with practitioners in Canada, Russia, Turkey, the UK, and (virtually) the US. His thesis, the first to research movement and the medium of performance capture, re-framed Chekhov’s work. He is a Chevening Alumnus and a Fellow of the RSA. Visit: www.charlesdouglas.ca