Enhancing the experience? Exploring the impact of augmented reality on staged performances

Extended Reality technologies, such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (AR), have been increasingly used in the domains of leisure and events. The rapid integration of these technologies raises questions on their use for enhancing staged performances. In this study, employing a between-participants experimental design, we measured the impact of AR on the experience of watching a live dance performance at a staged performance venue, and its recorded version viewed in a home-like environment. Two professional dancers choreographed and performed a 9-minute contemporary dance piece, which was subsequently augmented with computer-generated AR content. We measured participants' emotions using physiological (skin conductance) signals, and self-reports assessing overall evaluation and willingness to recommend the performance. Results indicate that the live performance was experienced more positively than the at-home experience, regardless of AR. Physiological data showed a subtle yet positive impact of AR on participants' emotional engagement during the live performances, but not in the at-home setting. Surprisingly, self-report data revealed that watching the performance without AR was evaluated more positively than watching it with AR. This study suggests that AR has the potential to positively impact staged performance experiences, but only when its content is coherently integrated with the performance.