“Technology” can be a scary word if you’re a parent. The dangers of too much screen time are a constant worry, not to mention the threat of sexting and cyberbullying. Still, policy experts agree that technology has great educational potential, and according to the Family Online Safety Institute, most parents believe technology has a positive impact on their children’s lives.
Theatre companies seem to agree. New York City’s New Victory Theater has been embracing technology in children’s theatre for years, by presenting multimedia work and incorporating textinginto pre- and post-show family events. Nine of the 12 shows the theatre will present in its 2016-17 season include projections, and companies that stop at New Victory on tour come in with increasingly sophisticated design elements.
“Companies can now get their costs down far enough and do more innovative things because they can employ technology so efficiently,” says David Jensen, director of production at New Victory. He notes that the cost of using projections has come down in recent years, as has the cost of show controller consoles that allow shows of any size to achieve big effects. “It’s great for the artists to be able to use the combination of lights and imagery to help tell their story.”
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