credits stain, ::vtol::

“...the time is out of joint” - Shakespeare

This staging is an algorithmic interpretation of "Comedy of errors" by William Shakespeare where luminescent lamps perform the play in accompaniment of generative sound and graphics - all based on the original text.
Here lamps are actors, and projected scenery represents constantly flowing river. Text is the structural basis and joint of the time.

http://stain.ws/THE-COMEDY-OF-ERRORS
http://vtol.cc/filter/works/comedy-of-errors
http://prostheticknowledge.tumblr.com/post/84423671091/the-comedy-of-errors-installation-by-stain-and

Full script of the play is divided into acts and scenes, each scene is analyzed by the program. Part of the graphics represent statistical data of the script: acts are visualized as circles with scenes as smaller rounds within acts, where diameters correspond to scene length counted in lines of text.
Every character is listed on the screen and associated with an unique color, and all monologues in a scene are graphed as rays of according length and color growing from the center of the scene’s circle.

Number of characters involved in the scene is represented as a polygon which vertices are connected to their names in the list, and combined with actual spectrum of speech sound, the contour is shaping the freezing form that flows down the time beyond the area of visibility, being lighted virtually by blinking lamps.

Another part is realtime reading of the script. The program feeds a text-to-speech synthesizer line by line, name of speaking character twinkles, current act’s circle displays the act’s phase at the moment, and the whole background pattern corresponds to that of current scene’s round.
Sound is based on processing of speech synthesis using complex system of reverb, panning and granular delay algorithms.

authors:
Stain (Alexandra Gavrilova, Sergey Titov), stain.ws

(Dmitry Morozov), vtol.cc

Exposition by MMOMA in Theatre of Nations, Moscow 2014.

hardware:

• digital controlled actuators with dc motors
• luminescent lamps
• arduino mega
• diy lamps and motor controlling system
• 2 channel sound system
• 2 projectors
• wifi router
• computer for graphics and sound
• computer for controlling the lamps, connected via wifi and osc

software:

• Pure Data for sound
• VVVV for graphics, motors and lamps algorithm