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Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UMÏ VARIATIONS OF VIRTUAL REALITY IN THEATRE AND FILM: TRUTH AND ILLUSION VIA ART AND TECHNOLOGY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal, M.A., B.A. (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), A.A., I.S.C., I.C.S.E. ***** The Ohio State University 2000 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Stratos Constantinidis, Adviser Approved by Dr. Carol Gigliotti Dr. Anthony Hill Adviser Dr. Wayne Carlson Department of Theatre UMI Number 9994891 UMI UMI Microform 9994891 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 © Copyright by Kaizaad Navroze KotwaI 2000 The first 40 years of life give us the text; the next 30 years supply the commentary.” - Fortune Cookie from China Dynasty, Columbus, Ohio Friday, May 26, 2000 ‘Technology is the fire around which we gather. -- Laurie Anderson “A work is never necessarily finished for he who made it is never complete.’ -- Paul Valéry ‘What is reality? Nothing but a collective hunch. -- Jane Wagner ABSTRACT While the technological age has made Virtual Reality a popular buzz-word, its philosophical antecedents can be traced back at least as far as Plato. This study begins in an examination of the definitions of Virtual Reality, representation, interactivity, immersion and cyberspace. In doing so the discussion follows a trajectory from Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Rousseau, and Castelvetro to the military-industrial complex and the internet. In arguing that theatre is one of the original Virtual Realities, I discuss specific works by Lope de Vega, Calderon de la Barca, and Luigi Pirandello, in that these plays, via the illusion of theatre are dealing with themes of illusion in art and life. I also look at how playwrights like Elmer Rice and Karel Capek have dealt with technology as a thematic concern in dramatic writings. Expanding these arguments to film I examine three Orientalist versions of Gunga Din (including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Sergeants 3 ) and argue that film as a Virtual Reality is a powerful means of (mis)representation in creating racist and colonialist (mis)understandings of subordinate groups (Indians in this case). I also look at The Lawnmower Man and The Truman Show to understand how Hollywood has dealt with themes of Virtual Reality and interactivity in the technological era. In light of new computer technologies I visit the works of theatrical masters like Craig, Appia, Grotowski, Brecht and Svoboda to examine how current theatrical production practices can be enhanced and invigorated. I closely examine the work being done by Claudio Pinhanez and the Theatre Department at the University of Kansas where computers are being used not only in the design area but also in the performative aspects of theatre. The study concludes with a discussion about creating new critical discourses around the issues raised by these new computer technologies. Virtual Reality as a philosophical, technological and aesthetic construct has always carried with it parallel and intersecting dialectics based in ethics, values and social impact. As these technologies begin to permeate almost every aspect of human interaction, the need for a critical theory around the area of art, technology and culture becomes desperately imperative. Dedicated to my Family: Mahabanoo, Navroze, Nairika, Mani, and Meher without whose patience, support, love and nurturing I would not have been possible. To my new brother-in-law Tommy. And to the beloved memory of my grandfathers, Nariman Mody and Savak Kotwal and my late, great-aunt Jer. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my adviser Stratos Constantinidis whose incredible patience, constant encouragement and meticulous critiques have made this a much stronger document and myself a much more astute and succinct writer and scholar. His guidance and input to the area of study undertaken in this dissertation has been invaluable. I also owe a great debt of thanks to Carol Gigliotti whose constant love and guidance has given me great strength and freedom as an artist and scholar. She has also strengthened my writing and creativity through her gentle nudging and firm scrutiny. Both Stratos and Carol have very willingly worked with me and shared their work so generously. They have introduced me to many new ideas and new worlds of artistic and scholarly inquiry. I owe many thanks to Wayne Carlson who consistently encourages and nurtures interdisciplinary projects and multifaceted collaborations. Eight years ago I came to ACCAD (The Advanced Computing Center for Art and Design) under his guidance to see how the theatre and computers could collaborate and facilitate new ways of seeing and thinking. This dissertation is in essence a direct result of my introduction to ACCAD and the ideals of bringing art and technology closer together. I would also like to thank Anthony Hill who has been my professor and teaching mentor in the area of multicultural studies. Through the courses I have taught with him I have been able to reflect and refine my work in the area of hegemony, colonial and post-colonial studies and the ways in which images and ideology function in social and cultural regeneration. I would also like to acknowlegde my other teachers past and present who have contributed indellibly to my development and growth as an artist, a thinker and a scholar. To my teachers in Bombay, India - Mrs. Sedvelkar who taught me the unadulterated joys of painting with abandon; Havovi Kolsawalla, my first speech and drama teacher who recognized and nurtured my talents as an actor, director and public speaker; Florence Hallegua my high school English teacher who inculcated in me a deep passion for language and literature; Colonel Simeon my high school principal who taught me to box, literally and metaphorically; and Shiraz Jeffries my high school drama coach who kept pushing my creative limits. VI I also owe a lot of gratitude to many of my professors at Wabash College where I received my undergraduate education — James Fisher and Dwight Watson who gave me a lot of guidance and courage to pursue the theatrical arts; Doug Calisch and Greg Huebner who fueled my passion for the visual arts; William Placher who taught me about cultures and traditions and how to think with clarity and a passion for knowledge; Floyd Coleman who taught me that art history is a living, breathing field of inquiry and relevant to our modern predicaments; Ola Rotimi who taught me about theatre and politics; and to Peter Frederick who gave me insights and a living example about what it means to be a great teacher. I would also like to acknowledge Peter Watkins and Laura Mulvey who planted in me my curiosity of film and all things cinematic and Don Stredney who started me off on my voyage in the world of computer graphics and Virtual Reality. I owe thanks to my closest friends - my extended family - for their help and support throughout the duration of this project and beyond - the Nemeths (Jim, Michal, Tania, Tamar, Ron and Mary), the Milligans (Carol, Fritz, Michael, Jennifer, Cory, Jesse), Cousin Ann, Alison and Grace Goodworth, Amiel and Melissa Mansur, Halim Hanna, Sam Jaeger, Adrian Hierro, Yianni Yessios, Fereshteh Hough, Lynn and Harvey Roth, Neil Daniels and Sean Usher. I would also like to thank Gijs VII Gerlag, John Carlisle, Eric Lee, Michael Lee, Kevin McBride, Tim Wilson, Andy Scahill, and Boney Dhar for their friendship and support. Last but not the least, I wish to thank my family, who have made incredible sacrifices to ensure my pursuit of an education abroad. They have taught me more than I could ever be thankful for and their ungrudging encouragement of my pursuing the arts has been greatly appreciated. Their unconditional love has made my life much easier. My most respectful thanks to my parents Navroze and Mahabanoo, my sister Nairika, my grandmothers Mani and Meher, my great-aunt Jer, and my new brother-in-law Tommy for all that you have done and continue to do. Above all, my deepest thanks to my spiritual lights - Ahura Mazda and Zarathushtra who have guided me and taken care of me and mine wherever we have been.