Experiments with the theatrical Greek chorus as a model for interactions with computational narrative systems - Narrative Intelligence - page 184

chanted commentary. However, filtering and editorial functions would likely
soon be needed in order to manage the accumulating data, and despite progress
in the field of computational linguistics, the effort could be daunting and the
results disappointing. Another approach could be to designate a live coordi-
nator, like an emcee or editor, to orchestrate or constrain players' interactions
(e.g., Laurel et al. 1994). Indeed, this role bears some resemblance to that of the
traditional chorus leader. However, using physical objects as mediating devices
suggests still another approach, in which carefully chosen or designed objects
cue timing and content of comments.
Objects as interlocutors
Choral comments typically occur at a meta-level: the narrative proceeds as
characters enact their roles within the structure of the plot; the chorus ob-
serve the enactments and comment on meanings and outcomes. This function
is well served by alternating time and/or space, and lends itself to re-tellings of
stories that the audience already knows. The chorus do not change the course
of events, but enrich understanding of it through multiple perspectives. Thus
the chorus may be best suited to stories in which many truths are possible, such
as the moral dilemmas in tales like Antigone and the arrest of Rosa Parks (Stro-
hecker et al. 1999). Discussion of many interpretations of such stories is essen-
tial to appreciating them. Sharing objects that pertain to the story could fa-
cilitate discussion, becoming “conversational props” that enliven participants'
experiences of the narrative and emphasize the role of the chorus (Bellamy et
al. 1994).
Objects could also be the means through which chorus members engage
with the narrative system. The timing of an object's appearance could create
shared moments of interest that help to coordinate interactions, and the form
and function of the object could evoke certain kinds of responses. For example,
coins, a bus driver's hat, and a policeman's badge are objects that could facili-
tate changes of perspective within the Rosa Parks story. An interactor holding
the police badge may shift focus from the morality of personal rights to the
morality of civic responsibility. An interactor with the coins may take the op-
portunity to deposit them at the front of the bus, only to be told to exit and
re-enter from the back, thereby dramatizing an important theme of the story.