Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) and MASARY Turn Translation into Living Scenic Art with "Supertitles" Powered by Epson Large Venue Laser Projectors

MASARY Studios Worked with BLO to Animate Typography and Reimagine a Classic Art Form for Modern Audiences with High-Powered Rear Projection

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Opera has long relied on translated subtitles to make its stories more accessible. Typically shown on small monitors near the stage or on the backs of seats, these can pull audiences out of the drama every time they look away. When Boston Lyric Opera prepared to debut its first production at its new Opera + Community Studios in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood, it invited MASARY Studios to help reimagine the role of translation. Working across scenic design, animation and projection, the MASARY Studios created "supertitles" to accompany the opera, integrating larger-than-life animated typography into the set that was powered by Epson large venue laser projectors, making the words part of the storytelling itself.

"Operas are sung in Italian, German and French, and translation has always been treated as a utility, something to be read rather than experienced," said Sam Okerstrom-Lang, co-founder of MASARY Studios. "You're listening and reading all at once, which can disconnect the viewer from the richness of the performance. Our goal was to make the supertitles expressive, to animate the type itself and embed it into the scenery, allowing the words to carry the emotion of the story rather than just explain it."

Setting the Stage for a New Kind of Translation
As neighbors in the same Fort Point building, Boston Lyric Opera saw MASARY Studios' projection and media expertise as an opportunity for its new theater and scenic design installation. The collaboration began not with a technical specification, but with the idea that translated text, traditionally handled away from the main stage, could become an integral part of the scenery. MASARY Studios designed animated typography for a story centered on three characters, with fonts styled and paced to match the emotion of each passage. The typography appeared in varying styles and moved in time with the singing, so the translation became expressive alongside the performance.

"We approached this as scenic design first and translation second, which meant the typography had to perform alongside the singers," said Okerstrom-Lang. "By stylizing and animating the phrases, and timing the text to the music, the words became an expressive scenic element through video projection."

"MASARY's work and their use of Epson technology brought a new dimension to the opera-going experience," says Bradley Vernatter, BLO's Stanford Calderwood General Director & CEO. "In working with us – and legendary director and BLO Artistic Advisor Anne Bogart – the team cracked open the possibilities of text and supertitles as a performance element. The text design, animation and movement kept audiences inside the world of the show and underscored the emotional center of the work."

Putting More than Words to the Screen
The production required a projection system capable of maintaining color and contrast across two very different surfaces. Two Epson large venue 4K 3-chip 3LCD laser projectors, converged into a single image, carried the "supertitles" across the set. A third projector, the 10,000-lumen 4K EB-PQ2010W fitted with an ultra short throw snorkel lens, powered a rear-projected window built into the set. The window became a portal through which singers could perform, while lighting and projection transported audiences between scenes, settings and moments in time. This content ran through a media server, while the projectors' interchangeable lenses and Epson Projector Professional Tool (EPPT) enabled the design team to converge, warp and fine-tune each image from a browser rather than a handheld remote.

"Theater venues are often unforgiving, and you're always working around sightlines, throw distances and whatever is already hanging in the room," said Okerstrom-Lang. "When we discovered an HVAC unit in the theater that wasn't in the drawings and blocked our planned projector placement, we quickly re-rigged the system, swapped the lensing, and adjusted the image without compromising the design. What made the concept work was knowing the color and contrast would stay consistent no matter where the projectors ended up."

Ideal for theatrical spaces, Epson's large venue laser projectors offer interchangeable lenses and a lightweight design, allowing installation without heavy-duty equipment and easy adaptation in tight scenic environments. The color output and contrast ensure all content appears sharp and true to the design, supporting the wide range of scenic effects required for this project.

"It takes powerful, reliable technology to elevate a traditional art form with projection, pushing beyond what we thought was possible," said Okerstrom-Lang. "Working with Epson gave us the confidence to take that risk. We're hoping this opens up how titles and scenic design can work together, to support theatrical stories in whatever language it's sung."

"MASARY Studios saw creative potential in what audiences had long accepted as a limitation, transforming translation into an expressive part of the performance," said Chris Teguh, product manager, Epson America. "It's inspiring to see how thoughtfully typography, music and scenic design were brought together, and we're grateful our projection technology could play a supporting role in bringing that vision to life. Projects like this demonstrate what can happen when artists are given the freedom and tools to explore new ways of telling stories and connecting with audiences."

For more information on Epson's large venue laser projectors, visit www.epson.com/largevenue. 

About MASARY
MASARY is a Boston-based, artist-owned collective founded in 2015. The collective is a transdisciplinary studio reimagining environments through immersive, site-specific installations that blend sound, light, interactivity, and performance. MASARY's pieces ignite presence, provoke exploration, and spark connection. Through live percussion, electronic soundscapes, projection-mapped video, interactive devices, and performative interventions, they build layered, sensory-rich experiences. Whether activating public squares or theater halls, their work transforms place into purpose and audience into participant, leaving spaces resonant long after an artwork concludes.

www.masarystudios.com | @masary_studios

About Epson
Epson is a technology innovation and engineering company whose philosophy of efficient, compact, and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company uses technology and engineering ability to implement real-world solutions in precision innovation, industrial and robotics, office and home printing, and visual and lifestyle.

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