Appropriating Technology for Interactive Media in Theatre: Design Strategies and Aesthetic Insights

Ruoxi Jia, and Xuebiao Liu

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper investigates interactive media design as a narrative agent in theatrical performance through a practice-based design approach. We clarify the role of the Interaction Director in the production team and examine challenges in appropriating technology for theatrical interaction design. A two-layer workflow is proposed, integrating macro-scale conceptual design with micro-scale cue-to-cue interaction mapping. We address the mutual dependency among creative disciplines, highlighting the collaborative processes necessary to resolve conflicts during the design and rehearsal stages. Furthermore, we adopt a scenographic perspective to analyse how interactive media contributes to dramaturgical storytelling by crafting visual and auditory metaphors. We contextualize interaction design with reader- response theory and the horizon of expectations, demonstrating how interactive media fosters collaborative creativity and expands the narrative potential of theatrical storytelling.

Citation

Ruoxi Jia, and Xuebiao Liu. 2025. Appropriating Technology for Interactive Media in Theatre: Design Strategies and Aesthetic Insights . Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15698788 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@article{nime2025_8,
 abstract = {This paper investigates interactive media design as a narrative agent in theatrical performance through a practice-based design approach. We clarify the role of the Interaction Director in the production team and examine challenges in appropriating technology for theatrical interaction design. A two-layer workflow is proposed, integrating macro-scale conceptual design with micro-scale cue-to-cue interaction mapping. We address the mutual dependency among creative disciplines, highlighting the collaborative processes necessary to resolve conflicts during the design and rehearsal stages. Furthermore, we adopt a scenographic perspective to analyse how interactive media contributes to dramaturgical storytelling by crafting visual and auditory metaphors. We contextualize interaction design with reader- response theory and the horizon of expectations, demonstrating how interactive media fosters collaborative creativity and expands the narrative potential of theatrical storytelling.},
 address = {Canberra, Australia},
 articleno = {8},
 author = {Ruoxi Jia and Xuebiao Liu},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15698788},
 editor = {Doga Cavdir and Florent Berthaut},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {56--62},
 title = {Appropriating Technology for Interactive Media in Theatre: Design Strategies and Aesthetic Insights  },
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2025/nime2025_8.pdf},
 year = {2025}
}