Interactive Projections for Immersive Stage Narratives: Design, Implementation, Evaluation

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates how interactive projections can enhance immersive stage narratives by examining design rationales, technical implementations, and audience perception within contemporary theatre practice. The problem addressed concerns the gap between conventional projection usage and the transformative potential of real-time, audience-responsive visuals to co-create narrative meaning, mood, and dramaturgical agency. The aim is to develop a cohesive design framework for interactive projections, implement a functioning prototype within a live performance context, and evaluate its impact on audience immersion, narrative comprehension, and perceptual engagement. Specific objectives include (1) delineating a design taxonomy for interactive projection systems (IPP) tailored to stage storytelling, (2) implementing an IPP prototype using motion-tracking, generative visuals, and sound-reactive elements, (3) assessing usability and technical reliability under theatre production constraints, (4) measuring audience experience through mixed-methods data, and (5) deriving guidelines for practitioners and scholars on scalable deployment. Methodologically, the study adopts a mixed-methods research design situated within a production-as-research paradigm. The population comprises professional theatre practitioners, technical designers, and audience participants recruited from three contemporary theatre companies in a metropolitan arts district. A purposive sample of 12 technical designers and 6 directors will participate in the design-build phase, with 180 audience members invited to experience two staged performances featuring the IPP prototype. Data collection instruments include (i) a semi-structured interview protocol for designers and directors; (ii) a usability and feasibility checklist completed by technicians during technical rehearsals; (iii) an audience experience questionnaire incorporating Likert-scale items and free-text prompts; (iv) post-performance focus group discussions with a stratified sample of 30 attendees; and (v) system logs and sensor data capturing latency, frame-rate stability, and interaction events. Validity and reliability are addressed through triangulation across qualitative and quantitative strands, pilot testing of instruments with 20 participants, and inter-rater reliability checks for thematic coding (Cohen’s kappa > 0.75). Data analysis proceeds in two strands. Quantitative data from questionnaires and system metrics will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis to examine relationships between interaction complexity and immersion scores, and repeated-measures ANOVA to compare experiences across performances. Qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, and free-text responses will undergo thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke’s framework, with coding supported by NVivo and cross-validated by a second coder. A convergent mixed-methods approach will synthesize results to identify convergent and divergent patterns between perceived immersion and technical performance. The analytical framework is anchored in Stanislavski’s concept of imaginative participation and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning to interpret how interactive projections modulate attention, narrative encoding, and sensory integration. A conceptual model depicting the relationships among design variables (interaction modality, projection medium, latency), perceptual outcomes (immersion, presence, comprehension), and performance constraints will be developed and tested against empirical data. Expected findings include (a) interactive projections can significantly enhance perceived immersion and narrative engagement when real-time user input is meaningfully mapped to dramaturgical elements; (b) system reliability and low-latency response are critical mediators of audience comprehension and emotional involvement; (c) designers’ workflows benefit from a structured IPP design framework that aligns creative intent with technical feasibility; (d) audience segments exhibit differential responses to interaction density, with optimal engagement at moderate interactivity levels. The study will contribute to knowledge by (i) proposing a theoretically informed IPP design framework integrating dramaturgy, human-computer interaction, and projection technology; (ii) delivering an empirically validated prototype and deployment guidelines for professional theatre; and (iii) extending the empirical base on audience experience in interactive-stage environments. Conclusion emphasizes that carefully designed IPP systems, when embedded within a coherent dramaturgical framework and supported by robust production practices, can meaningfully augment how audiences co-create meaning in live theatre. Recommendations include adopting modular IPP architectures to accommodate production constraints, investing in latency-aware visual pipelines, and providing practitioner training on dramaturgical integration of interactive media. Suggestions for future work include exploring adaptive storytelling algorithms responsive to collective audience input and extending the framework to cross-disciplinary stage formats such as immersive theatre installations and festival showcases.