HERETIC
The experience took place inside an inflatable dome, setting the stage for a truly immersive and magical environment.
Visual Artists:
Qiyun (Q) Gao
Jiawen Wang
Composers:
Josh Belperio
Thomas Blakeley
Vocalists:
Mayu Sierra Tayama
Emma Zanetti
Sadiyah Babatunde
Tools: Touchdesigner, Isadora, NDI, Dome Projection
Concepts
The story is set in a deep forest, where women are being accused of practicing witchcraft. We believe this concept is perfect to explore within a dome environment. The immersive nature of the dome invites the audience to fully enter this mystical and emotionally charged narrative.
There are three main characters in the play: Mara, the accused witch; the Justiciar, a state prosecutor and executioner; and Ember, the embodiment of fire and the pyre. Together, they guide the audience through a tense and haunting act.
Although the execution of accused witches is a thing of the past, the shadow of such persecution persists in different forms today. Unjust accusations continue to be directed at women—especially women of color—and the question of how to resist and fight back remains as urgent as ever.
Design Choices
Visuals for Different Characters and Scenes
Before designing the visuals, we had one guiding principle: they should not be too loud or distracting, so the audience’s attention remains on the singers. After testing different approaches, we settled on a minimalist visual style with upward motion—symbolizing the chaotic, expansive nature of fire.
We tailored the visuals for each character. For Ember, the pyre, we used textures composed of burning, fire-like particles. For the other characters, we adjusted the color palettes to reflect their distinct traits. In the final scenes, we introduced a red and yellow palette, evoking intensity and perfectly suiting the climax.
Since the projected visuals are the only source of light on stage, we carefully controlled their brightness to support each scene’s emotional tone—some moments are dimmer and more intimate, while others burst with brightness.
Audio-Reactive Elements
We wanted the visuals to respond live to the singing. Rather than using pre-edited visuals, as is common in traditional stage design, we aimed to experiment with live control—allowing the visuals to react directly to the singers in real time.
To do this, we divided the audio input into three frequency ranges: low, mid, and high. Each range was assigned to a different singer based on their vocal register. We then linked the visuals to the volume of each range, so that the intensity of the sound controls the speed of the upward motion.
We made this choice for two reasons: first, synchronizing the visuals with the vocals helps the audience perceive a more immediate connection between the performance and the visuals, without overwhelming them. Second, it allows for dynamic and responsive lighting tailored to each scene.
Technical Details
Dome Structure
One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the opportunity to perform it inside a dome with a live audience. However, this also presents unique challenges. Throughout the process, we had to constantly consider three key elements: the singers’ choreography, the audience seating arrangement, and the scale of the visuals. These components needed to work together seamlessly and simultaneously.
TouchDesigner to Isadora via NDI
We primarily used TouchDesigner to create the visuals, as it is well-suited for real-time audio analysis and live control. However, since the dome projection was managed through Isadora on the control side, we needed a way to bridge the two platforms. To enable seamless communication between them, we used NDI (Network Device Interface) to stream the visual output from TouchDesigner into Isadora.