Children's Interpretations of Computer-Animated Dinosaurs in Theatre

Abstract

Thirty-two children (10 1st grade, 11 3rd grade, 11 5th grade) attended a live theatre performance of Dinosaurus (Mast and Bensinger) using human actors and computer-animated dinosaurs. Contrary to perceived reality theories, they took electronic forms for granted by merging the emotional expressions of live and animated characters. The cultivation of mediated realities suggests the "extinction" of theatre's live distinctions from mass media.