The Coexistence of Humans and Non-Humans on Stage

Abstract

The contemporary scene has redefined the concept of acting by moving away from the psychological identification between actor and character. The presence of new technologies and their intermediate nature have led to the growing prominence of non-human actors in today’s theatre and dance and, on the other hand, the coexistence of humans and non-humans on stage. In this way, digitized images, avatars, robots and AI creations displace the traditional role of the carnal actor as the sole bearer of meaning on stage through programming and its intermedial potential. Undoubtedly, a hot topic is the impact of AI on the present and future of the performing arts. We are now in a time of transition as we grapple with what the rise of AI will mean for creativity. In this article, we will focus on specific proposals from European companies that already use it in their proposals: the British Forced Entertainment, the Spanish Compañía Señor Serrano, the Italians Anagoor, the French Shonen or the Dutch Ulrike Quade, among others.