what I look at is never what I wish to see

” what I look at is never what I wish to see” which is Lacan’s gaze theory, we can never see ourselves from the point from which we view others. He divided human seeing into vision and gazing, and there are many forms of the gaze.

I am looking at the usage of digital screens in live theatre, and there is a connection to Lacan. Like the Mirro stage and how we form ourselves and identity, and the gaze. But my work is not about Mirro Stage, the gaze...Ideas are also come from others related reading.

In theatre, audience viewing a performance is the gaze, and the gaze might not audience themselves, it can be performers' or directors'.The employment of live camera projections and films could present various angles to audiences, which are both what they can and cannot see. Here, I am trying to explain my piece with this theory. In Connection, a party scene, for example, Lauren is chatting with Naiming. Later on, a screen behind them shows a video of a girl’s death which represents Lauren’s inner world, an abstract concept. Through utilizing video is possible to present a character’ thoughts, dreams, memories and fantasies, which is a gaze from the character’s point of view.

In another scene, Lauren saw Yunzhe on a street. The main screen shows a video, Yunzhe waiting for a cab, from Lauren’s viewpoint, the gaze of Lauren. Also, a side screen presents two angles of Lauren gazing at Yunzhe, which are different from audiences’ view from their seats. What is more, the view of the whole stage, onstage acting, variety of viewpoints of video projection from actress’ and my director’s gaze, are the subject of audiences’ gaze. I am interested in the outcome of these many ways of looking in this kind of performance. When look at gaze and viewpoint in theatre, the audience view a performance which is finally the gaze of the director.

The employment of projection and film present various angles to audiences, which are both what they can and cannot see. The screens give new viewpoints new types of gaze for the theatre.

Also, Paul Valery discusses gaze in live performance and says, “two people look at each other, you take my appearance, my image, and I take yours. You are not I, since you see me and I don’t not see myself. What is missing for me is this ‘I’ whom you can see. And what you miss is the ‘you’ I see.” I am considering if, in theatre, the “I” I miss and the “you” you miss can be seen through utilisation of video and live camera projections.