A safe space to explore dangerous things
Do actions in the virtual world stay in the virtual world? A new performance directed by postdoctoral fellow Dr. Zach McKendrick explores dark themes relevant to today’s rapidly advancing digital technologies.
“If we do this well, the audience isn’t just watching a story about immersive technology. They’re experiencing what it’s like to navigate overlapping realities and recognizing that choices made in virtual spaces still belong to us, long after they take off the headset," says Dr. McKendrick.
Two disciplines, one unique vision
Over his two years as a Provost’s Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholar, Dr. McKendrick has had a foot firmly planted in the faculties of Mathematics and Arts, working with Professors Daniel Vogel and Craig Kaplan at the Cheriton School of Computer Science and Professor Andy Houston in Theatre and Performance. His work focuses on immersive digital technologies and theatre and performance practice.
As an actor, director and researcher in human-computer interaction, including work in social robotics and drones, Dr. McKendrick is uniquely qualified for this dual and interconnected focus. His postdoc research explores how immersive technologies — virtual reality, augmented reality, and extended reality — support theatre and performance for actors, directors, and audiences, and, how these practices help create what he calls a wholistic virtual experience.
Read the full article on Waterloo News.