Interactive Stage Design System for Immersive Black-Box Theatres: Prototype, Deployment, Evaluation

Thesis Abstract

In immersive black-box theatres, designers face challenges in harmonizing dynamic lighting, projection, and spatial reconfigurability with audience-centered immediacy, often resulting in prolonged pre-production cycles and limited real-time dramaturgic responsiveness. This study addresses the problem of bridging interactive stage design with practical deployment in small-scale, flexible-performance environments by developing an integrated Interactive Stage Design System (ISDS) that supports real-time dramaturgic adjustment, synchronized multimodal cues, and user-friendly authoring for designers, technicians, and directors. The aim is to prototype, deploy, and evaluate an end-to-end system that enables rapid configuration, live control, and evaluative feedback in black-box theatres. The specific objectives are (i) to design a modular ISDS architecture that interoperates with existing lighting consoles, projection mapping tools, and spatial sensors; (ii) to implement a real-time authoring interface and a middleware layer enabling bidirectional communication among scene components; (iii) to deploy the system in two professional black-box theatre venues with distinct technical specifications and audiences; (iv) to evaluate usability, performance, and dramaturgic effectiveness through quantitative and qualitative measures; and (v) to formulate guidelines for scalable adoption in resource-constrained theatre contexts. The methodology adopts a design-based research (DBR) approach underpinned by constructivist and activity-theory perspectives. The population includes professional theatre practitioners (n=60) and technical crew members (n=40) across two urban theatres, with a purposive sample for detailed study comprising 20 designers, 15 technicians, and 8 directors. A mixed-methods data collection strategy combines (1) instrumented system logs and performance metrics (latency, frame synchronization accuracy, throughput) captured over nine production cycles, (2) usability and workload assessments using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and NASA-TLX administered after each cycle, and (3) semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of design diaries (n=38 interviews). The ISDS prototype comprises three core modules a real-time scene composer for cue orchestration, a modular middleware for device interoperability (DMX, MIDI-CP, OSC, and RTSP streams), and a live-prototyping dashboard enabling on-the-fly dramaturgic experimentation. Validity and reliability are ensured through triangulation of system performance data, observer reports, and user feedback, with instrument reliability tested via Cronbach’s alpha (? ? . eight) for survey items and inter-rater reliability (Cohen’s kappa ? .70) for qualitative coding. Data analysis employs a multi-layered framework. System performance data are analyzed using time-series analysis to detect synchronization discrepancies and regression analysis to identify predictors of latency under varying load conditions. Usability data are evaluated with descriptive statistics and repeated-measures ANOVA to assess changes across production cycles. Thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke is applied to interview transcripts and diaries to surface emergent themes related to autonomy, collaborative workflow, and perceived dramaturgic agility. A conceptual model inspired by activity theory is iteratively refined to map artefacts, subjects, rules, community, and division of labour within the ISDS-enabled production process. Ethical considerations include informed consent, data anonymization, and adherence to theatre productions’ nondisclosure norms. Expected findings indicate that the ISDS reduces pre-production iteration time by 25–40%, improves real-time cue latency within a 20 ms tolerance window for lighting and projection synchronization, and enhances perceived dramaturgic control among designers and directors (SUS scores > 75, NASA-TLX scores indicating moderate workload). The thematic analysis is anticipated to reveal four core enablers embodied agency through direct manipulation of dramaturgic material, streamlined cross-disciplinary communication, a robust, non-intrusive middleware, and a design culture supportive of rapid prototyping. The study contributes to knowledge by delivering a validated, scalable design and deployment blueprint for interactive stage systems in flexible theatres, integrating design science research with practical production insights, and extending activity-theory-informed models to performative settings. Recommendations include formalizing ISDS adoption protocols, expanding interoperability standards for venue hardware, and developing training curricula for designers and technicians to sustain continuous iterative improvement in immersive theatre environments. The conclusion posits that an integrated ISDS accelerates dramaturgic experimentation without compromising technical reliability, thereby enabling more responsive and collaborative theatrical production in black-box configurations. Suggestions for further research include longitudinal studies across additional venues, exploration of audience-perceived immersion metrics, and integration with AI-assisted cue generation for adaptive storytelling.