Lighting Integrated Technology Project

Conventional theatrical performance follows a linear progression of blocking, costumes, scenery, and lighting cues. The actors and technicians, to keep all elements in a predictable sequence, closely follow a script. Actors traditionally perform on a stage separated from the audience, who watch passively. The dedicated hardware and software systems used to control lighting equipment are designed to handle this type of theatre and depend on strictly planned sets of cues and transitions. Broadway musicals and the Las Vegas extravaganzas have become so preprogrammed that a small mistake or missed cue by an actor can sometimes stop the show for several minutes to an hour while automated scenic, lighting, and effects elements are reversed, resynchronized, and restarted.

A major change is currently taking place in theater influenced by interactive media such as computer games and theme parks. A new wave of shows is emerging emphasizing audience participation and a loose script that may not be the same every performance. Productions like Blue Man Group: Tubes and De La Guarda, which experiment with these ideas, are quickly becoming staples of the New York theater scene.

The Lighting Integrated Technology (LIT) project was created to develop a responsive and interactive lighting system that can be effective in both the classic performing environment and the unpredictable new world of theater. LIT has been divided into two components. The first explores how to create lighting software that can process lighting changes in a non-linear fashion. The second deals with ways in which the actors themselves can directly influence and interact with the lighting environment.

Our software controls the flow of information from on-stage sensors to the existing lighting control system, executing the desired lighting change in response to changes on-stage. The I-CubeX, a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) controller developed by Infusion Systems Ltd., translates sensor input into MIDI messages. Our software accepts these messages and then generates and transmits MIDI commands to the UVA Drama Department’s Horizon Gold lighting control system to execute the appropriate lighting change. A series of user interface screens help the designer specify cues and tie them to certain events while a back-end system interprets incoming events and carries out the appropriate lighting commands.

The second component of the LIT project includes the sensors that enable actors on a stage to physically change and control their surroundings. These sensors give actors the ability to directly control their environment through their presence, movements, or manipulation of objects. Ultrasonic and infrared proximity sensors detect movement over a combined range of 0.5 to 30 feet, while a phototransistor detects ambient light intensity levels and a touch sensor registers contact pressure. All of the sensors plug into the I-CubeX, and the Editor & Librarian (Mac and PC) included with the I-CubeX system allows the user to customize threshold settings and select which parameters are controlled.

The LIT software application and associated array of sensors is both easy to use and can be effortlessly adapted to many situations. This type of technology has potential uses not only in theater but also in interactive art, theme environments (like those found in some amusement parks), and even for interactive learning purposes. This new and exciting technology for dynamic interactive theater environments is the future of theatrical lighting.