Collective Rage

Project Overview

“When live theatre must exist online, how can digital media tools preserve liveness, intimacy, and access? This project explored the possibilities of remote performance by designing a custom telepresence system for a fully virtual production.”

Developed during the height of COVID-related restrictions, the performance explored the creative possibilities of being remote by designing a custom telepresence system for a fully virtual production of Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties by Jen Silverman.

Although presented as part of TFMA’s official season, the production was shaped by the intense pressures we faced as students, educators, and theatre-makers navigating a rapidly shifting digital landscape. The move to a completely virtual space required us to reimagine pedagogical and dramaturgical priorities through the lens of distance and disruption.

How It Works

• All participants engaged remotely via a customized live-streaming system built with Zoom, Isadora, NDI, Syphon, and custom code.

• Performer Zoom feeds were received and routed through a centralized media server, enabling real-time mixing and visual storytelling.

• The final composite stream included six channels of video, synchronized live performance, supertitles, descriptive text, and accessibility features designed to be ADA-compliant.

• Audience members accessed a unified, curated stream that simulated the live theatrical production for our students despite physical distance and quarantine restrictions.