پیشنهاد یک گفتمان جدید: ضرورت استفاده از مواد هوشمند در طراحی صحنه تئاتر، به‌مثابه پل میان مواد سنتی و مولفه‌های دیجیتال

This article aims to deconstruct the prevailing dichotomy in Iranian theatre scenography — between the traditional approach, reliant on classical materials (wood, fabric, static lighting), and the digital approach, based on new media (projection, video mapping) — and to introduce "smart materials" as a third discourse and a communicative bridge between these two poles. The research employs an analytical-descriptive method within an interdisciplinary framework, integrating knowledge from materials science, technology engineering, and theatre aesthetics.
Smart materials refer to a category of advanced materials capable of altering one or more of their intrinsic properties (such as color, shape, transparency, or luminescence) in a controlled, predictable, and often reversible manner, in response to external stimuli like light, temperature, sound, pressure, or an electric field. To demonstrate the potential of these materials, the article reviews successful global case studies in theatre. Examples include the fully LED-based set design of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the creation of dynamic stage props and costumes using shape-memory alloys (such as mechanized angel wings), and the application of thermochromic smart paints and coatings for creating responsive scenery. These cases illustrate the unique ability of smart materials to create dynamic, interactive, and immersive stage environments.
Contrasting with this global perspective, findings from a preliminary assessment of Iran's scenography community reveal a profound knowledge gap: approximately 90% of respondents lack basic familiarity with smart materials. Primary obstacles are rooted in areas such as a shortage of educational resources, the absence of interdisciplinary research infrastructure, budgetary limitations in theatrical productions, and the lack of a receptive theoretical discourse within Iran's theatre aesthetics.
The article argues that smart materials hold the potential to fuse the material authenticity of traditional elements with the dynamism of the digital age, paving the way for an emerging paradigm of "neo-materialism" in stage design. Within this paradigm, "matter" transforms into an active, dramatic agent within the performative process.
Consequently, the article proposes a hybrid strategic framework: Interdisciplinary Education and Discourse Formation to familiarize the artistic community, and Applied Research and Development of Indigenous Prototypes, in Iranian scenic theatre. Implementing these strategies can facilitate a transition from confrontation to dialogue, thereby opening new aesthetic horizons for Iranian theatre.