Science, art and technology collide on stages at UCLA TFT

As UCLA faces the suspension of federal research funding, UCLA’s  School of Theater, Film & Television is reflecting on the vital link between the sciences and the arts.

In a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape, UCLA TFT continues to explore how tools and technology can elevate storytelling and actualize a better world. Research powers the arts and artists. Projects like the Spring 2025 UCLA Theater production of “Xanadu” — in collaboration with Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance (REMAP) and the Office of Advanced Research Computing (OARC) — highlight how extended reality, AI and more are reshaping how audiences experience, interact with and learn from our culture. What we discover and create at UCLA — with the help and support of federal grants — doesn’t just stay within the walls of our labs or lecture halls. It reaches real people and real lives, often in transformative ways.

"Xanadu" was performed at the Freud Playhouse in after more than a year of development, research and play testing.