Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus is a difficult text with large passages of thick, dated language and supernatural characters whose powers are usually inferred rather than shown on stage. It might be considered a good training exercise for college theatre students but not necessarily a rousing night at the theatre. At Western Michigan University (WMU), we decided to use Doctor Faustus as the platform to combine the latest in digital media technology with an experienced design team and a risk-taking guest director. We hoped, in the process, to give new power to an old story.

In November 2005, in an effort to jumpstart new initiatives, the WMU administration announced that an internal Innovation Grant totaling $2 million would be available to fund a select number of proposals. As we already had a great team of creative collaborators in place — we have been integrating digital media into productions since 1998 with a new opera, The Nightingale, followed by other successful productions including Return to the Forbidden Planet, Space, and Metamorphoses — we saw this as a perfect opportunity to explore new technologies.

Scenic designer and head of design Greg Roehrick was interested in using stereoscopic 3D to break the plane of the traditional projection screen. Lighting designer Matt Knewtson had a strong interest in using MIDI. Dance faculty member David Curwen wanted to explore telematic video, and everyone wanted the chance to work with motion capture. I led the team, which also included chairperson Joan Herrington, and wrote feverishly to complete the grant application on a short deadline. Out of 80 entries, our proposal was one of seven that received awards, with ours totaling $289,448.

Working as the grant's project director, I prepared orders for computers, software, projectors, and other equipment as fast as I could write them. Through a very fortuitous bit of timing, we were able to acquire a pre-owned, 12-camera motion-capture system from Vicon. Interestingly, these cameras had once been part of the capture rig for the animated film The Polar Express, and we happened to contact Vicon at the exact time when they were trying to move several pre-owned systems. Just a couple of years ago, this would have literally cost us a quarter-of-a-million dollars, but we were able to get ours for less than a third of that price. It was an absolute coup for us to get a system of this quality.

In late August 2006, guest director Leon Ingulsrud, who had previously directed twice at WMU, flew in for a series of meetings to learn what could be done with the new technology. He immediately gravitated toward the “mocap” (motion-capture) system and wanted to use it live on stage in full view of the audience. Because I couldn't see us putting Faust or Mephistopheles into a Lycra® suit covered with reflective dots for the whole show, Leon and I happened upon the idea of casting one actor to be our “digital puppeteer” to do the motion-capture performances for all of the digital characters. The extensive list of virtual characters included a 30-person chorus, Mephistopheles, Lucifer, Helen of Troy, the Good Angel and Evil Angel, Alexander, his Paramour, and a “Devil in Drag.” Presenting them all in a live setting posed a serious challenge.

The choice to do live motion capture required us to be creative in other areas. Most importantly, a set had to be designed to house the 12-camera Vicon system. Because the theatre in which the show was to perform has traps and an orchestra pit, Greg designed an Elizabethan-inspired set incorporating the equivalent of an inner-below and inner-above. A main central platform was created, under which the cameras were hung. Floor traps were removed under that platform, creating what we called the “mocap pit,” a 12'×12' space in the center of the stage, which was barely enough room to accommodate our performers' movements.