“Xanadu” mixes theater and technology to paint a portrait of community.

UCLA’s Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance, also known as REMAP, bridges the gap between technology and performing arts on campus, namely through experimental theater productions. REMAP’s newest project, “Xanadu,” loops audience members into the technologically advanced production. The plot remains the same as that of the 2007 jukebox musical on which the production is based, as well as the original 1980 film, “Xanadu.” The story follows the relationship between Sonny, a painter, and his muse, Kira, who inspires him to regain a love for art and helps him start a roller-skating rink. At the same time, “Xanadu” features elements of Greek mythology and music from Electric Light Orchestra. The aspect of audience interaction sets the UCLA performance apart from the prior productions, though.

“It’s a community feeling that you’re able to work with everyone else who’s there,” said third-year computer science student Naisha Agarwal. “Everyone’s coming to watch the show from different backgrounds, … so it’s fun to see different people work together, draw these different sketches and see everyone’s sketches come to life.”

Agarwal served as the production’s generative AI director. Generative artificial intelligence fosters audience participation in the production, she said. Before entering the stage, Agarwal said, audience members were asked to download an app that they can later use to “sketch” objects onto a series of white canvases surrounding the stage during a scene in which Sonny creates a mural. The audience’s sketches then appeared behind the actors on screens, she said, creating a sense of community.

Mira Winick, a directing program alumnus and the guest director of “Xanadu,” became involved with REMAP during her sophomore year at UCLA. Winick said the participatory nature of the production sets it apart from other projects she has worked on and from most theatrical productions taking place today. Being able to create art as a group through technology builds a community within the audience, she said.

“There’s a lot of different ways that we’re allowing audiences to participate, and part of that came out of discussions around accessibility,” Winick said. “We’re going to do live jazzercise, and that will be interacting with technology. Things will happen on these giant LED screens we have. But then some people may not be able to do that.”

The extensive use of technology in “Xanadu” is not an easy task, she said. Winick said the process has been a learning experience requiring repeated testing of the show’s technology. According to Winick, the complexity of the technology and audience interaction required learning not only for those working behind the scenes but also for those on stage. Since the show slightly differed each night because of the audience participation element, she added, audiences were invited to dress rehearsals to help the actors adapt.

Matthew Smith, a third-year theater student, starred as Sonny in the REMAP production. When Smith and his peers heard about the production, he said, there was confusion among the actors surrounding the integration of technology. Working on the project, he said the use of motion capture technology in particular was the most difficult adjustment to become accustomed to as an actor.

“There’s a point in the show where I’m acting to motion captured digital gods and goddesses. … Our actors on stage for a portion of the show go and do some motion capture, and then they show up as these huge 3D icons up on these giant screens,” Smith said. “And that’s who I’m acting with. That for a time has been pretty challenging.”

Smith said the show immerses audience members into the world of “Xanadu” through its experimental techniques. The audience was seated on stage alongside the actors – an uncommon theatrical practice – breaking the divide between audiences and characters. Above all, Smith said “Xanadu” will inspire audiences to love art. Sonny’s rekindling of artistic passion in the show, he said, will leave those who watch walking away with an appreciation of the arts.

Performances of “Xanadu” ran from May 15 to 23 at the Freud Playhouse on the UCLA campus. Additionally, Winick said guests were encouraged to dress in 1980s-inspired attire if they wished to fully participate in the immersive experience.

“It’s a very silly, funny show, and I think that is always so nice and palatable for all audience members, whether it’s children or older generations,” Smith said. “It’s timeless, and it’s something that’s for everyone.”