Volume 1, Number 1
<1> Laurel describes the transition in the model of the interface from a program that sits between but distinctly apart from both human and computer, to a program "which joins human and computer, conforming to the needs of each" (Laurel 13-14). She also discusses the view that interface design should represent "whole actions with multiple agents," which, according to Laurel, constitutes the very "definition of theatre" (7).
<2> In delineating her perspective on computers as theater, Laurel starts with a model of theater that is, in my view, based on realistic production modes in physical space, in which the 4th wall is invisibly down as viewers peek into and become engrossed in the illusion of the stage. As Laurel says, "For actor and audience alike, the ultimate "reality" is what is happening in the imaginary world on the stage--the representation" (16). In the beginning of her analysis, Laurel describes models of theater in what I call physical space in contrast to virtual space. Though she does not use the phrase "physical space" to preface these models, I use this terminology to distinguish discussion of performance in non-virtual arenas from performance in a "virtual" context involving technology and typically the use of computers.
<3> In one model drawn by Laurel of the relationship between audience, actor, and stage in physical space, audience members are set outside and in front of the stage space and represented by circles, while the actors, who are represented by triangles, remain on the stage. Beneath this drawing, Laurel writes, "For the audience, what's happening on the stage is all there is. The triangles represent the actors" (16, Figure 1.6). Altering this relationship in another model of theater in physical space, Laurel has the audience members and actors occupying the same arena of the stage (circles and triangles within a square). According to Laurel, "Putting the audience on the stage creates confusion" (17, Figure 1.7).
<4> In this instance, Laurel's description of confusion is premised on production modes based on realism, in which the audience would feel more comfortable becoming immersed in the illusion onstage by viewing it from a distance--hence, she describes "confusion" when the audience is put on stage. But in other production modes, such as happenings, the audience would feel comfortable rather than confused when joining the same stage area as the actors.
<5> Lastly, moving theatrical representation into the realm of computers, Laurel draws a model with triangles and other assorted forms that are contained within an oval. Beneath this picture, Laurel writes, "An alternate view of human-computer interaction, in which the representation is all there is. The triangles represent agents of either human or computer-generated types, and the other shapes are other objects in the virtual environment. The shape of the "stage" is oval, like the beam of a spotlight, to suggest that all that matters is that which is "illuminated"" (18, Figure 1.8). This description works well in merging the concept of the actor with the audience participant, indicating that the arena for dramatic interaction is that in which the participants find themselves; in this model, I locate a starting point for plotting the interaction that occurs within a MUD. For the MUD player, the dramatic interaction occurs wherever she or he is--the location of the player is illuminated as the perpetually shifting site of interaction with the environment or other characters.