McKellen, Rosheuvel, and AR: ‘An Ark’ Redefines Immersive Theater at The Shed
A groundbreaking new production at The Shed in New York City is challenging the boundaries of theatrical experience, using augmented reality to bring audiences face-to-face with a hauntingly intimate performance. “An Ark,” featuring Sir Ian McKellen and Golda Rosheuvel, isn’t just a play; it’s a deeply personal encounter with themes of life, death, and the shared human experience.
A Story Told in the Space Between Worlds
The experience begins with an unsettlingly personal revelation. As one attendee described, “A few weeks ago, I locked eyes with Sir Ian McKellen as he told me a story about how I was born, where I grew up, and when I would eventually die.” While some details felt inaccurate, the unnerving accuracy of others created a powerful sense of connection. This initial encounter, mirrored by Golda Rosheuvel, sets the stage for a narrative that unfolds as a collective telling of “your” story – a story woven from the lives of the performers.
The play, created by writer Simon Stephens, director Sarah Frankcom, and mixed reality specialist Todd Eckert, centers around a quartet of characters existing in a liminal space between life and death. The audience member is positioned as a newcomer, tasked with understanding how their own life story is part of a larger, universal narrative. Arinzé Kene and Rosie Sheehy further contribute to this emotional depth, guiding the narrative through moments of both vulnerability and pain.
Tin Drum Theatre Company and the Evolution of Mixed Reality Performance
“An Ark” builds upon the innovative work of Tin Drum Theatre Company, known for its experimental mixed reality productions. Previous projects like “The Life,” featuring Marina Abramović, and “Medusa,” utilizing Magic Leap 2 headsets, have pushed the boundaries of immersive storytelling. However, “An Ark” distinguishes itself by deploying its technology in a way that transcends traditional audience participation.
The production utilizes augmented reality glasses to create a mixed reality experience, effectively placing the actors directly before the audience. This is achieved through a volumetric video system comprised of 52 cameras, capturing the performances in a way that feels both strikingly real and subtly ethereal.
Entering the Circle: The Immersive Experience
Attendees describe a deliberate build-up to the performance. Upon entering a dark, red room illuminated only by a large orb, audience members donned wired mixed reality glasses. As the room darkened further, the actors – McKellen, Rosheuvel, Kene, and Sheehy – materialized one by one, appearing as if they were sitting just feet away.
Frankcom, who has expressed a pragmatic view of technology, approached the direction as a traditional theater piece, prioritizing the actors’ performances over elaborate sets. This focus, combined with the volumetric capture, results in a hauntingly intimate experience. The actors appear remarkably clear, almost tangible, yet a subtle visual warping occasionally occurs, lending them a ghost-like quality that reinforces the play’s exploration of mortality.
A Shared Intimacy and the Power of Connection
At 47 minutes in length, “An Ark” culminates in a profoundly emotional experience. The play’s power lies in its ability to reveal the universality of human experience. As one audience member noted, the performance prompted reflection on the shared aspects of their own life with those of the characters, and how the aspects that didn’t resonate might speak to others in the audience.
The shared experience fostered a sense of connection among attendees. “I heard other people talking about how An Ark made them feel like they had become connected to something larger than themselves,” one attendee shared, “not in a religious sense, but in terms of having shared a very intimate experience with a group that left us all thinking about how similar we are.” This sense of shared vulnerability underscores the play’s central theme: that our individual stories are, in many ways, not unique at all.
“An Ark” demonstrates the potential of AR to elevate art, creating a powerfully moving experience that lingers long after the glasses are removed. The production is currently running at The Shed through March 1st.
