Kaivalya Nataka brings multimedia experience to the world of theatre

I, Joseph It is an intense and thought-provoking 45-minute multimedia experience | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Kaivalya Plays

Sitting in a dark room, a three-dimensional soundscape immerses you in the world of Joseph K. With high-quality wireless headphones, you experience the sounds as if they are all around you – the sound of footsteps from behind, whispers from the side and the bustle of the courtroom.

you are welcome I, JosephA 45-minute deeply immersive and thought-provoking multimedia experience that invites the audience to step into the shoes of Franz Kafka’s most famous character, who is unexpectedly arrested and put on trial for an unspecified crime. In this adaptation of Kafka’s Process ,tests) has been reimagined through a unique first-person perspective that immerses the listener in the world of K through binaural audio. Presented by Kaivalya Plays in collaboration with Goethe Institute/Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, to celebrate #100YearsKafka, it was recently staged in slots with only 30 audience members in attendance at a time.

Relevant scripts

Gaurav Singh Nijjar, General Manager, Kaivalya Plays has directed and designed the play. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Kaivalya Plays

Although it was written more than a century ago, tests The play remains very relevant in today’s world, especially in India. According to Gaurav Singh Nijjar, General Manager of Kaivalya Plays, who has directed and designed the play, the themes of bureaucratic complexity, the struggle for justice and individual freedom in the face of power are more relevant than ever. I, Joseph The goal is to present these themes in a lively manner, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own experiences with social structures and personal freedoms. “The story of a man suddenly arrested without explanation and entangled in an opaque, inflexible legal system resonates strongly with contemporary experiences. Furthermore, the exploration of isolation and loneliness in the novel speaks to our modern condition, where digital connectivity often paradoxically leads to human disconnection,” Nijjar elaborates.

With wireless headphones, you can experience every nuance of the play. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Kaivalya Plays

I, Joseph This is a natural evolution of Kaivalya Natak’s long-standing interest in audio-based theatrical experiences, including radio play adaptations and immersive audio experiences, such as lifeline 99 99“We wanted to transform a third-person narrative into a direct, first-person encounter that challenges the audience to experience Josef K’s world from within. Throughout the performance, the audience is challenged to connect with Kafka’s themes on a personal level, feeling Josef’s confusion, despair and search for meaning as if they were their own experiences,” said Kaivalya Plays’ artistic director Varun P. Anand, who wrote the script and adapted the play.

Sound technology

Friendly tests There was a multi-step process for binaural audio. The team first rewrote the narrative to focus on auditory elements, ensuring that characters identify themselves and actions are described through recognizable sounds. They then created a 3D soundscape using binaural recording techniques, capturing sound the way it is heard by human ears. “This creates a completely immersive audio experience where sounds can be perceived as coming from different directions and distances,” Anand explains. Next, the team carefully selected and rehearsed with actors to find the right voices for each character, recording in both English and German. They purchased state-of-the-art wireless headphones and other materials for the installation. Finally

Kaivalya Natak’s artistic director Varun P. Anand has written the script and adapted the play. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Kaivalya Natak

Last month, the Kaivalya Plays staged Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman In the Capital. A thrilling dark comedy set in an unnamed totalitarian state, it tells the chilling story of a writer whose horrific stories of child murders blur the line between fantasy and reality. This visually stimulating performance, presented under license from Concord Theatricals, blends various ideas of storytelling, including projection mapping, live broadcasting and audio-video interaction with actors in real time.

From The Pillowman By Kaivalya Natakas | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Kaivalya Plays plans to continue exploring new theatrical formats. Next month, they will present their two years of research on security and artificial intelligence in the performing arts at the India Foundation for the Arts Research Conference in Bengaluru. In November, they will help a group of young artists make their directorial debut on the Delhi stage with a new self-written production.Golden CommodeThey will also present the stageHate miningAn improvised interactive play about misinformation attacks on Indian journalists that uses AI tools in real time. In addition, his new improv team will stageconspiracy theoryA long-running improv comedy show about conspiracy theories. In addition, they will be hosting workshops by artists from Australia and Germany this month, giving Indian artists more opportunities to learn from global artists, especially in the field of technology for theatre. “We envision creating performances that can go beyond traditional art spaces and enter classrooms, offices, courts and even the internet,” concludes Nijjar.