Actor, Producer and Writer
Acting and Producing When All the World's a Stage聽
Whitton Frank鈥檚 (CMU 2006) acting and performance career has taken her around the world, but her latest venture gives her unlimited reach without leaving home.
She鈥檚 part of the Ferryman Collective where she writes, produces and acts in live, immersive performances in virtual worlds. Stepping into an avatar, she performs online using virtual reality technology.
鈥淭his is really the pinnacle of what performance in the future might look like,鈥� says Whitton, who holds a bachelor of humanities and arts in drama and creative writing. 鈥淲e can bring high-quality performances to anyone anywhere in the world at any time. It combines stage performance, voice acting, puppetry and mask work. All of that is crucial for live performance in a digital space.鈥�
A typical VR production takes its lead from live, immersive theater. Audiences interact with actors, who improvise around a scripted story. In Whitton鈥檚 recent show 鈥淕umball Dreams,鈥� multiple actors play the lead role as an alien who is about to transition out of its current life.
Along with a small audience of just three people who solve puzzles to enable the transition, Whitton鈥檚 performance and one-on-one interactions explore themes of love, hopes, dreams and regrets. Recognition and awards for the work have come from South by Southwest, Kaohsiung Film Festival and Raindance.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitton鈥檚 team noticed one of the most effective gestures in performances was a hug or maybe a high-five.
鈥淭echnology without human connection is just cool technology, and that鈥檚 not enough, it needs a human element,鈥� Whitton says. 鈥淲hat brings people out to try cool technology is connection. We鈥檙e creating empathy, understanding and connection between people.鈥�
Story by Elizabeth Speed