On November 4th, I attended a musical called “Rebecca” at the Raimund Theatre. What stood out in this performance was the use of an adjustable transparent screen. It was interesting to see how it was incorporated into the show.
Throughout the production, actors positioned themselves behind the screen, cleverly utilizing it to create various effects. For instance, a phone booth was projected onto the screen, and where the actress stood, the screen became transparent, giving the illusion that she was inside the phone booth, even though the stage behind the screen was empty. It made the background of the show more interesting. Additionally, it added versatility to the on-stage furniture. For example, a real house wall was visible, and the screen projected moving leaves to simulate wind. Later, they even used it to project fire, creating the illusion of a burning building.
The use of such screens can generate impressive effects by projecting onto objects, potentially leading to savings on materials and stage design, as mentioned by the example of the phone booth.
I found it really cool to see how projection mapping works in action. While the application of projection mapping in live performances is fascinating it may not align with the focus of my Master’s thesis.
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