The impact of AI on live performance

Performers now fit in the palm of your hand.

Provided

The impact of AI on live performance

Oscar and Emmy nominee and Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell recently made his Broadway debut in the well-received production of Uncle Vanya. In an interview in advance of the opening, Carell commented: “I am a huge proponent of live concerts, [and] theatre. I kind of think it’s the wave of the future, frankly. With AI and with everything you’re seeing on a screen, who knows what’s real and what’s not. And when you go to see someone perform live, there’s no hiding. It’s exactly what you think it’s going to be.”

The use of video projections aside, that reflection does indeed resonate with those of us in the theater community.

Others have written or spoken about the value of live theater – as well other forms of live entertainment, such as concerts, poetry readings, and sports – as an antidote for artificial intelligence, or as writer Victor D. Infante put in a piece for Worcester (Massachusetts) Magazine, “live entertainment [is] an antidote to computer-generated cultural overload.” Infante was reflecting in comments with GBH (Boston Public Radio) executive arts editor and host Jared Bowen on how live theater is “an opportunity – and antidote to overproduced, overly computer-generated entertainment.”

Sharon’s very own PBS radio station, Robin Hood Radio, concurs: “Live is everything! It’s all about live. It’s all about communication. Marshall Miles always said what people didn’t realize about radio is the immediacy. That is key,” commented Jill Goodman, co-founder with Marshall Miles of Robin Hood Radio, Sharon, in a live interview.

Perhaps this is not a new thought, or even an obvious observation. However, who cannot deny that people today are looking for something “real” or to use an overused word, “authentic”? Both of these commentators shared that they yearn for “real acting, real singing and real comedy. It’s hard not to see live entertainment as a sort of remedy to that virtual ailment.”

As we know, in live entertainment anything can happen. Sometimes flubs or breaking character are part of the enjoyment of live entertainment, as it shows us that the performers are “real” people, as vulnerable to making mistakes as we are. Recently, on a live broadcast of Saturday Night Live, actor Heidi Gardner found a skit so funny that she broke into uncontrollable laughter. She was worried how her producers would react. But the audience and viewers LOVED it! Also, in live theater, there are no do-overs…except for sometimes. Some years ago, when theater legend Nathan Lane was giving a Tony Award winning performance of the classic A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forum, he accidently slipped and plopped while making an entrance to a song. He picked himself up and said directly to the audience, “Let’s try that again.” The audience’s applause lasted for several minutes.

Brisa Carleton, three-time Tony Award winning producer, also reflected: “While…AI [has the potential] to enhance the live theater experience, it is worth noting that human creativity and performance remains a key aspect of live entertainment. AI is likely to augment rather than replace human contributions in the industry. Theater is an opportunity to remember what it means to be connected to other people in an experience that will never happen quite the same way, ever again.”

As you might expect, The Sharon Playhouse’s own Education & Associate Artistic Director Michael Kevin Baldwin, feels the same: “Live theater and other forms of live entertainment offer a unique, irreplaceable experience that stands as a powerful antidote to the rise of artificial intelligence and computer-generated media. They foster genuine human connection, evoke real emotions, and remind us of our shared humanity in ways that technology simply cannot replicate.”

Whatever the eventual role of AI is in the arts, one thing is certain. AI and computer-generated media can never replace the impact of live theater. Come and experience the impact and pleasures of live theater for yourself at The Sharon Playhouse. Visit www.sharonplayhouse.org to order tickets and for more information about our 2024 Season.

Lee A. Davies is a member of the Board of Directors of The Sharon Playhouse. You can reach him at leeadavies4@gmail.com.

Latest News

Swinging into spring sports at HVRHS

HVRHS sophomore Wyatt Bayer will suit up for the Mountaineers' varsity baseball team.

Photo by Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — With the arrival of warm weather, so too comes a new season of athletics at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.

The Mountaineers will field teams in five different sports for the spring season: baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis and track and field.

Keep ReadingShow less
Northlight art show opens at Historical Society Gallery
One of a dozen artists participating in the Northlight Art Center’s 14th annual student exhibit is Cathleen Halloran, above, who paused for a photo by one of her several works on display. The opening reception at the Sharon Historical Society’s Gallery on Saturday, March 15, brought out a robust group of local art fans.
Leila Hawken

Fans of fine art filed into the Sharon Historical Society’s gallery on Saturday, March 15, for the opening reception of student works from the Northlight Art Center in Amenia, New York.

Northlight was founded in Sharon by Pieter Lefferts in 2010 and later moved to Amenia. This is the 14th year of the annual student exhibit.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Urinetown’ makes use of brand new HVRHS auditorium

Tess Marks as Little Sally and Jackson Olson as Officer Lockstock in the Housatonic Musical Theatre Society production of "Urinetown."

Tom Brown

Last week’s Housatonic Musical Theatre Society production of “Urinetown” featured strong performances and superb choreography.

The remodeled auditorium at Housatonic Valley Regional High School made a big difference as well. New seats were a welcome addition, and the increased technical capability meant that the show was flawless from a production point of view.

Keep ReadingShow less
Race Brook Lodge: A timeless haven for music, art, and community

Race Brook Lodge

Lety Marcos

Tucked away on Under Mountain Road in Sheffield, Massachusetts, The Stagecoach Tavern dates back to the mid-18th century and offers fine dining in an enchanted setting. It also serves as the portal into the Race Brook Lodge, which harbors unique spaces for entertainment, lodging and wellness.

Intimate outdoor gathering areas are illuminated by strings of lights. A cluster of mid-century bungalows can be rented by guests who come to spend the weekend and attend concerts and retreats, which typically take place in the barns farther back in the woods.

Keep ReadingShow less