Belief in the Impossible Performance...
Joel Grinke
Alex Ferguson BPAC 404 November 7, 2014
All You need is Faith and Trust: Belief in the Impossible in Performance
Since the beginning, the human race has had a desire to believe in the impossible and magical. This can be witnessed in the fantastical stories such as fairy tales which have been told throughout human history. (Zipes.) As artists combine technology and a capacity to build larger, more spectacular and intricate representations of life and fantasy, one can assume that so too will the demand on the viewers imaginations and willingness to accept that what we once deemed as impossible, can happen. Will this continue to be entertainment for us, or will it simply become to far removed from what we as humans know? How much can a viewer of the seemingly impossible things that are being presented in contemporary entertainment be willing to accept? While the ideas of fairy stories, super heroes and other fantastical elements have been around for a long time, only recently have humans had the technology to begin to realistically move these things from the imagination of an individual reading a book to being able to present them to viewers in the real world. In this paper I assert that the creation of a full fantastical illusion, even if imperfect and with little to no basis in what the viewer knows as factual reality, will be more readily accepted by the viewer than an attempt at representing factual reality with minor imperfections. In order to explore this deeply I will begin by defining illusion in the context of artistic performance. I will then explore theories such as the willing suspension of disbelief, inattentional blindness and the uncanny valley. Finally I will apply these ideas to three forms of entertainment: themed entertainment, the use of robotic performers and magic.
In his paper "Process of Repression: Image, Illusion and the Uncanny," Pablo Petrucci explores the idea of the uncanny by setting it beside the idea of illusion. Quoting Freud’s example of The Tales of Hoffmann, particularly the the story wherein Hoffman is convinced that an automaton - Olympia - is a real woman until she is ripped apart limb by limb and the true nature of the thing is revealed to Hoffmann. Petrucci, and indeed, Freud, from whom Petrucci is building this definition upon, begins to define illusion from this idea of complete belief in an entity as something other than what it’s true physical nature is. Petrucci then references the motif of the Sandman who “tears out children’s eyes” saying that “It is clear that to steal someone’s 'eyes' is to take away their vision of the truth.” This definition of taking or clouding a vision of the truth aligns with what performance artists working with large scale illusion have said in the past. Harlan Tarbell’s The Tarbell Course in Magic was a by mail course in magic. In the first lesson of this book, Tarbell defines a magical illusion as something a spectator believes are “almost superhuman feats” and goes on to say “when you learn how very simple they are, remember that to those who are not ‘in the know,’ they are still deep mysteries”(Tarbell). We see here the repeated themes of belief of what is before a spectator as something other than what it is, be it an automaton or a skillfully covered act of slight of hand. Both examples end up speaking to an illusion as being a witnessed presence being perceived differently from what it truly is. Using these two core examples, one from the academic world, one from a performance background, I propose the following definition of an illusion: an illusion is an occurrence or presentation that is built to be perceived by a viewer as something other than it factually is.
Originally suggested by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his books of writings on poetry Biographia Literaria, the willing suspension of disbelief is considered by some to be “undoubtedly the single most famous critical formulation in all of English literature” (Tomko). The phrase was coined as part of a reflection on the writing of the Lyrical Ballads, a project undertaken with William Wordsworth. He wrote:
“...in this idea originated the plan of the Lyrical Ballads; in which it was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic; yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith” (Tomko).
It has been observed that the phrase “suspension of disbelief” can be taken as overly broad and simplistic, though what is described is accepted as existing. Noël Carol wrote that “Suspension of disbelief seems to entail that it is possible for one to will what one believes... belief is not something that is under control. We cannot will our beliefs”(Galgut 192). Coleridge, in future letters to individuals such as Daniel Stuart, clarified by saying “it is not strictly accurate to say that we believe our dreams to be actual while we are dreaming. We neither believe nor disbelieve it” (Brown 60).
This idea of neither believing nor disbelieving is essential. It stems from the second and perhaps lesser evoked phrase that is raised from Coleridge's writing on the subject: “poetic faith.” Poetic faith suggests a level of allowance for the impossible. This is different from an unmitigated belief in the piece of artistic work as factual, but also not a simple decision to “play along” with what is being presented (Tomko). Instead, the act of having “poetic faith” is an active role of deciding to be receptive and co-operative with the goal of being led through the story of the work being presented. This aligns with Descarte’s belief of how humans judge truth. Descartes asserts that that humans judge the truth in a two stage process: first through comprehending it and then by judging it to be true or false (Tomko). Aligning with Descartes theories, neuroscientist Richard Gerrig asserts that we process fiction by two systems; a slow moving ‘unsystematic’ process that believes what it perceives, and a slower moving ‘systematic’ process that assess and plans based on what we perceive (Holland). That is to say that if a viewer can comprehend what is being offered to him in a story he accepts it immediately and then re-assess it later. To do this, time is needed to re-assess.
In a 2013 interview with the Toronto Star, Penn Jilettee of the magician pair Penn & Teller said “Magic is not the willing suspension of disbelief, it’s the unwilling suspension of disbelief. It looks like this, but it can’t possibly be this.” He goes on to say “One of the things you want the most ... is for the visceral and the intellectual to collide as fast as they can” (Ouzounian). This statement and the need for time to re-asses speaks to the the theory of inattentional blindness. This theory suggests that individuals have a limited ability to observe what is happening around them. Because of this, a person is more likely to observe what they have been directed to observe either by cueing from another person or having their attention attracted (Khun, Tatier, Cole). I extrapolate from this observation that, if not given a sufficient time to approach the second stage of decision making but being given a clear understanding of what is being seen, a person observing a fantastical or seemingly impossible feat would be inclined to believe it. This speaks directly to Jilettete’s idea of a person’s visceral knowledge colliding with their intellectual knowledge to create a sense of wonder.
The third piece of determining whether a viewer is more inclined to believe in fantastical things is to discuss a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley. The uncanny valley refers to a feeling of discomfort or even fright that people have when a viewer perceives a near human image either computer generated or a robot that appears to be almost but not quite human-like (Tinwell, Nabi, Charlton). It has been found that this “almost but not quite” perception of the robot or computer generated image is akin to the feeling that humans get when they sense psychopathic traits in a human being. Research has shown that the key traits that give humans this sense are the facial features of the eyebrows and forehead that are used in the startle reflex. These traits include widening the eyes, raising of the eyebrows and furrowing of the forehead when startled. Because of this incongruence between the robots behaviour and their physical appearance, the level of affinity for the robots drop off. (Tinwell, Nabi, Charlton). In fact, it has been shown there is a middle ground between mechanical looking, and almost human looking where humans are most receptive to technological beings. In a study 2014 where many different forms and styles of robots were used ranging from wheel based robots closely resembling cars or trucks to close attempts at humanoids with human facial features it was found that the robots that received the most positive and accepting reactions had round shapes and polished designs. In the same test it was found that the closer that a robot was to a human likeness the higher the expectation was of the abilities of the robot (Rosenthal-Von Der Putten, Kramer).
This feeling of discomfort in connecting with the robot can be aligned with the context of the willing suspension of disbelief and the theories of truth assessment proposed by both Descartes and Gerrig. The initial feeling that is close to fright that is defined as uncanniness in a robot is caused by a viewer being unable to make a decision as to wether the robot is real or unreal (Tinwell, Nabi, Charlton). I would assert that if a person’s ability to engage in poetic faith and suspension of disbelief relies on the ability to comprehend in order to begin believing as Descartes asserts then the process has been stopped in its tracks by the viewers inability to comprehend what they are looking at. Their ability to look at a robot and quickly comprehend what they are looking would allow a viewer to easily begin viscerally reacting to what they are observing, as Penn Jilett suggests is at the core of magic, rather than being forced into a state of uncertainty and exclusively observing intellectually.
Using these three theories (Suspension of Disbelief, Inattentional blindness, the Uncanny Valley) and the definition of illusion that has been arrived at, I will observe my thesis through the lens of three real world examples. Each fantastical and realistically impossible in different ways, beginning from grand and ending in very small. They will be:
An immersive themed environment.
The use of projection and computer generated imagery to create a realistic onstage
performer.
The performance of a close proximity magic trick.
In the book Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show, founding member of imagineering John Hench writes, “The minute details that produce the visual experience are really the true are of the Disney themed show, it’s greatest source of strength. The details corroborate every story point, immersing guests in the story idea.” This sentence describes the feeling of an area known as Main Street, USA in Disneyland. Speaking from my own experience the area has a complete immersion in it’s theming. An illusion is created that the viewer is in a small American town at the turn of the century. The buildings surround the viewer in a way that blocks out any connection with the world outside of the park, including any outdoor power lines (which would of course not be seen in a turn of the century small town. Themed entertainment like this strives for an instant emotional impact and does that through providing a level of clarity of experience. Rather than offering a narrative based storyline, it offers an experience. The visual styles are often fantastical and exaggerated to allow a person to easily embrace the non-reality (Durbin). This is the experience of Main Street. Observing some of our key measuring point for belief in illusion the viewer is immediately given icons with which they can relate (American flags flying, cast members in turn of the century clothing, ragtime band music playing in the air from unseen speakers) to the intended place and time. There is also a level of attentional misdirection (Kuhn, Tatler, Cole) created due to all of the visual, auditory and scent based stimuli. There is little time to think about the substance of the potential falseness of the space as there are so many details to take in. These details, however, are clearly created to convey a sense of an idealized world of the past rather, a world that is built in the imagination, rather than an exact recreation of the time period. Because of this the environment avoids the feeling of the uncanny, instead becoming a place that the viewer can immediately comprehend as a place of fantasy, but can become entranced by the huge amount of detail and therefore stay in the first stage of automatic belief as they continue to take in new the glut of images, sounds and smells of the space.
Based out of Osaka University in Japan, Oriza Hirata’s Robot Theatre Company to date has created four plays plays featuring robots as performers; I, Worker, In the Heart of the Forest, Good-bye and Metamorphosis: Android Version which began being presented in France in Fall of 2014(Seinendan). I, Worker and In the Heart utilized mechanical looking robots as performers while Good-bye and Metamorphosis utilize what Hirata refers to as android performers, meaning humanoid looking robots (Hirata). In Good-bye the android performer is build to look like a human being however, due to the limitations that Hirata himself acknowledges the android is unable to “get up and move around.” In the play he therefore creates a circumstance where the play wis spent with the android sits and reads poems to a person who is dying. (Hirata.) This seems to have ended up having mixed outcomes. One review from the Daily Mail specifically called out the android’s ability to move in ways that were human, but specifically calls out that the face lacked the depth of expression (Spencer). It is important to not that in that same review article, however, that Hirata is interviewed and quoted as saying “It won't be that a robot replaces human beings on a drama stage, it's more as if a new type of actor has emerged in the theatrical world.” It is also important to note that the android performer is not attempting to be taken as a human actor, but rather it is part of the play that the performer is an android. In another review for the American technology website The Verge, reviewer Paul Miller stated that “It’s as if human and humanoid were trying to out-artificial each other” while also citing the feeling of witnessing the uncanny valley in the android. We see in this example two of the key factors in play: the willing suspension of disbelief and the uncanny valley. Hirata is seemingly attempting to create a sense of familiarity and immediate understanding by acknowledging the robotic nature of the android. This would, theoretically, lead a person to settle into a sense of the willing suspension of disbelief. However, I assert that because the android form is so close to the human form the viewer is still unable to make a decision about what they are seeing on stage and therefore are never able to get past the not-quite humanity of the android. This would lead to, as seen in the critical reviews, a viewer is not able to move beyond the android as a performer. In Hirata’s case this may be the effect that he claims to be seeking, but in terms of belief in the fantastical the attempt appears to be unsuccessful.
Finally, I will observe a form of illusion that Harlan Tarbell asserts goes back to the time of the ancient Greeks: close up magic tricks. I presented a trick wherein it appeared that two coins held by two different people wrapped in paper napkins switched places. The illusion began by explaining that I was very nervous as I had never tried this in front of people before. This creation of this narrative creates the familiarity that allows the viewer to connect with and understand what is being shown to them. What they are observing is not entirely the trick, but the story of the person they are viewing. This is a phenomena that Norman Holland speaks of in his paper "Spider- Man? Sure! The Neuroscience of Suspending Disbelief." From there I am able to continue to create moments of inattentional blindness by calling attention to my discomfort to draw attention from the swapping of one coin from another in my hand. Because everything that they are witnessing is something they are easily able to identify as true (the coins, the paper napkins, even myself) their visceral feelings and observations went against their intellectual understanding of what is possible and forced them to suspend their disbelief. Suspend it unwillingly as Penn Jilettee would like to have us say. Even as an untrained illusionists I had many of the people who had been watching approaching me after wondering how I did the illusion.
In conclusion, it would appear that it can almost be formulaic to create an illusion that inspires wonder in a person. I have shown that the willing suspension of disbelief is not necessarily a belief in something, but rather an inability to disprove something because it can be seen happening in front of the viewer. What is observed in these examples as well as in performances every day is that this inability to disprove does not immediately lead to disengaging from the illusion, but rather “neither disbelieving nor believing” as Coleridge wrote in his letter. This can be easily derailed by perceptions that an object or performer is untruthful, unknown or fake, as is the case with the uncanny valley effect. The pairing of how the human mind is willing to believe immediately after being able to identify an object or person, but is unable to identify an uncannily lifelike object it is clear that fantastical illusions that people may deem as impossible are more likely to be believed in when in the context of performance than a performer or event that is almost but not perfectly realistic.
Works Cited
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Durbin, Holly Poe. "Seeing With Three Eyes—Design For Live Performance: Theatre And Themed Entertainment." TD&T: Theatre Design & Technology 44.2 (2008): 26-37. Art Source. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Galgut, Elisa. "Poetic Faith And Prosaic Concerns. A Defence Of 'Suspension Of Disbelief'." South African Journal Of Philosophy 21.3 (2002): 190. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
Hench, John. Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show. New York. Disney Editions, 2008. Print.
Hirata, Oriza. "Sayonara." Trans. Kei Hibino. ⻄西洋⽐比較演劇研究 11.1 (2011): 22-28. J- STAGE. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
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Miller, Paul. “The Actors are Robots, but the Emotion is Human.” The Verge. 8 Feb. 2013Web. 3 Nov. 2014
BPA 404 9 Joel Grinke
All You Need is Faith and Trust: Belief in the Impossible in Performance Ouzounian, Richard. "Penn Does Most of the Talking but Teller Has a Lot to
Say." Toronto Star. 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
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Spencer, Ben. “A Robotic Performance: Japanese android Actress Geminoid F Appears on Stage Alongside Human in Play.” The Daily Mail. 15 Nov. 2010. Web. Nov. 4 2014
Tarbell, Harlan. The Original Tarbell Course in Magic. Lesson 1. José Antoniao González Campos. 2002. PDF document.
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Tomko, Michael. "Politics, Performance, And Coleridge's 'Suspension Of Disbelief'." Victorian Studies 49.2 (2007): 241-249. Art Source. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.
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