Dramatic Foundations - Computers as Theatre - page 66

just as semiotic usage formally infl uences patterns. A key point that Aristo-
tle made is that patterns are pleasurable to perceive in and of themselves,
whether or not they are further formulated into semiotic devices or lan-
guage; he spoke of them, not only as the material for language, but also as
“pleasurable accessories.” Hence the use of pattern as a source of pleasure
is a characteristic of dramatic representations, and one that can comfortably
be extended to the realm of human-computer interaction.
Language
The element of language (usually translated as diction) in drama is defi ned
by Aristotle as “the expression of their [the characters'] thought in words”
( Poetics 1450b, 12-15). Hence the use of spoken language as a system of
signs is distinguished from other theatrical signs like the use of gesture,
color, scenic elements, or paralinguistic elements (patterns of infl ection
and other vocal qualities). In the orthodox view, “diction” refers only to
words—their choice and arrangement. That defi nition presents some inter-
esting problems in theatrical forms such as mime as well as in the world
of human-computer interaction, many of which involve no words at all
(e.g., most skill and action computer games, as well as graphical adventure
games and graphical simulations). Are there elements in such non-verbal
works that can be defi ned as language ?
When a play is performed for a deaf audience and signing is used, few
would disagree that those visual signs function as language. The element
of language in this case is expressed in a way that takes into account the
sensory modalities available to the audience. 12 A designer may choose, for
whatever reason, to build a human-computer system that neither senses
nor responds to words, and which uses no words in the representation.
Hardware confi gurations without keyboards, speech recognition, or text
display capabilities may be unable to work with words.
In human-computer interaction, graphical signs and symbols, nonver-
bal sounds, or animation sequences may be used in the place of words as
the means for explicit communication between computers and people. Such
nonverbal signs may be said to function as language when they are the
12. It is interesting that American Sign Language (ASL) is in fact a “natural language” in
its own right, and not a direct gestural map of English or any other spoken language. If a
language can be constructed from gesture, then it follows that spoken words are not essential
elements of language. My non-deaf grandson started signing at about seven months—babies
can sign before they can use words effectively.