Human Method, Machine Actor: Rethinking Director’s Theatre in the Age of AI

Abstract

Throughout the international theatre scene, contemporary technology and New Media are increasingly asserting their presence. Today, we no longer speak solely of digital manipulations, projections, or the use of live-action cameras. More importantly, it is now time to discuss performances utilizing the most recent technological achievements, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Moreover, performances featuring actors created using these technologies (such as A.L.A.N.) are already well-known. For several decades, we have consistently observed and experienced theatrical productions that exemplify the distinctive features of Director’s Theatre (Regietheater) – a current centering entirely on the directorial gaze concerning both dramatic and non-dramatic texts, as well as pertinent socio-political issues, underscoring the individual who, in the past, emerged as the theatre’s dominant artist: the director. This paper aims to investigate to what extent the concept of Director’s Theatre further evolves, granting the artist-creator full control of the process, yet simultaneously driving them to utilize already existing acting methods, such as Stanislavski’s, on AI actors, in order to implement their vision as well as whether Large Language Models (LLM) can perform as alternative actors on stage. It also raises questions about the development of new directing methods and theatrical genres.