In times where electronic technology develops at lightening speed and sophisticated video and digital recording have become accessible like never before, when we communicate more and more on a visual basis, and the boundaries between virtual and true reality are blurred, the opera world may wonder where their ancient art form fits into our modern world.  Perhaps there is a way to take advantage of the enormous potential of our digital era, and to work rather with than against it.

Virtual Theater Design is my effort to combine the two worlds: the enormously creative potential of video, together with opera’s traditions - it is the marriage of film and live theater.  The solid part of the set consists of bright movable panels, drops or set pieces, which can be designed in any desired shape.  This serves as a plain canvas onto which the virtual part of the set is projected and completed through special lighting design.  Projections, lighting and set become one inseparable unit in which the singers move and perform as they always have and none of the live theater experience is taken away.  This opens the door to stunning visual effects that can be absolutely in line with the opera’s traditions and the original time period.  In fact, Virtual Theater Design allows for any approach, abstract or concrete, naturalism or surrealism or any mixed form, limited only by the director’s and designer’s imagination.  It can take you anywhere and can do it in no time.  The set changes in front of your eyes and transports you to a new place, beautifully timed with the music, like a movie transition.  Besides the visual beauty, Virtual Theater Design enhances the story telling enormously by communicating the emotional content along with the music.

Last but not least, there is another benefit to this concept which is crucial in these economically difficult times:  It is affordable.  Projectors can be rented basically anywhere and the costs are dropping along with the costs for electronics.  Due to lower costs, Virtual Theater Design will allow even smaller regional companies to put on new productions.  A production that is designed with a rental option in mind can also limit the number of solid parts.  For any company Virtual Theater Design is a way of economically reasonable planning while drawing old and new audiences alike. We can now combine our rich past with our exciting future.