An Exploratory Educational Drama: Scenographing with Sound in an Immersive Narrative Space

Lei Li; Siliang Du; Duoyi Li; Wenxuan Zhu; Qihao Wang; Yulin Chen; Runhan Liu

An Exploratory Educational Drama: Scenographing with Sound in an Immersive Narrative Space
Image credit: Lei Li; Siliang Du; Duoyi Li; Wenxuan Zhu; Qihao Wang; Yulin Chen; Runhan Liu

Abstract:

This paper presents an immersive, actor-less theatrical experience where the physical space functions as a “narrative instrument.” Developed as a pedagogical case study in creative technology, the project enabled undergraduate students to develop technical fluency in interdisciplinary system integration. The resulting system utilizes a distributed architecture–integrating distributed sensor networks and multi-channel audio engines–to map audience movement onto performative gestures across five interactive zones. By incorporating a “Wizard of Oz” surveillance system, the architecture ensures organic narrative progression where sound acts as the primary scenographic agent. This work contributes a practical framework for sonic worldbuilding and demonstrates an experimental pedagogy for cultivating applied technical skills within collaborative artistic production.