A Brief Overview

Theatre in Virtual Worldsand

SL Shakespeare Companythe

Virtual worlds: Multiuser “worlds” that exist in computer-simulated “virtual reality” Often contains analogues of the real world, such as currency and similar spatial relations Current Mainstream Implementations: User interacts in world represented by his/her avatar Different virtual worlds have different features, but communication medium present in all. Popular v.w.’s: ActiveWorlds, World of Kaneva, World of Warcraft, The Sims Online, Second

Life

Virtual Theatre: theatrical performances in virtual worlds Manifestation: Actors control avatars to tell a story, as witnessed by an audience of avatars No longer location dependent, globally accessible anywhere with an Internet connection More easily create immersive settings for theatrical presentations, can customize rules of

reality.

Puppetry Analogy Actor as represented by an avatar puppet Keystrokes in lieu of strings to control the avatar (Tangled strings manifest as virtual world server/software congestion!)

Theatre in Virtual Worlds

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Second Life (SL) is an immersive open-ended virtual world imagined by and created by its users.

Extensive inworld commerce systemGlobal, communal, effective social networking

platform.Users register for a unique avatar name, purchase

land or islands to establish venues with a unique address (SLurl)

Second Life as the “metaverse”

Second Life, briefly:

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Stats (as of late 2008)• Over 15 million registered

users• ~50,000 online

simultaneously• US$10 million exchanged

monthly on LindeX

Actor: represented by avatar in Second Life (Avatar: “virtual body” of participant) Dependent on connective interface (e.g., keyboard, gamepad, OCZ nia, custom

software)

Basic Implementations of Theatre Avatar moves/activates things directly via arrow keys and mouse-clicks, minimal scripted

support. Combination of movement with animations create new choreography Speech via text chat, media stream, or SL Voice

Technology-guided Implementations of Theatre Artificial intelligence used to present a sequence of scripted behavior. Speech via text chat, media stream, or SL Voice (Virtual Ventriloquism)

Hybrid Voice acting by real humans, mixed with avatars guided by (programmatic)

scripts.

Forms of Theatre in Second Life

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Not a teleplay: Not merely about actors being separated by long distances, but actually, a play that exists in virtual reality—particularly, the metaverse, a virtual world with analogues to the real world, such as its own currency and economy, its own culture and intelligentsia, etc.

Not a broadcast medium, per se: Limitations in number of avatars in a single local venue similar to a RL theatre, not easy to record a high quality film of an event. When broadcast, in the traditional sense, as a raster video, the performance loses its scope.

Not just animation: The animation medium is premeditated, requiring that each frame of the spiel be planned for or created in advance. When you have an avatar on a virtual stage, it’s definitely a live medium, where anything can happen once showtime starts!

Clarification (Some common misconceptions)

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Second Life is new; the platform is experimental.Possibilities

SL, as is, can facilitate high customization in avatar and set design, recognizably emulate RL productions

Innovative PossibilitiesTransparent Interface: Natural movements via

customized browser for real-time motion capture streaming animation.

Holographic projections

Limitations & Possibilities

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The SL Shakespeare Company (SLSC) is a professional theatre company based in SL. curator of the most historically accurate theatres and

architecture relating to William Shakespeare in virtual worlds.

The SLSC is an independent organization. Fiscal Sponsor: sLiterary, Inc. (NPO, arts in virtual

worlds) Not affiliated with Linden Lab (Second Life) Not affiliated with any one institution, though many have

participated, and all are welcome to participate.

Origins Founded in 2007 by Ina Centaur Composed entirely of virtual staff recruited from the user

communities of Second Life, and the Internet.

Case Study: SL Shakespeare Company

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Performance Environment SL Globe Theatre

To-Scale replica of Shakespeare’s second Globe Theatre Set in the midst of an an arts mecca in virtual worlds.

Blackfriars Theatre World’s only complete replica of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre. Perfect for Elizabethan-style black box theatre.

Networking, Publicity, and Outreach Utilizes the talented network of artists and creators,

who are the merchants of SL Thrives in the “artistic meritocracy” of SL Grassroots-based publicity, with focus on inworld

communities. SL reaches to all econ-sectors, around the world. Many

saw their first Shakespearean play on SL.

SLSC Organizational Structure

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SL Globe Theatre

Blackfriars Theatre

Main: A single full-length Shakespearean play/year Several smaller productions other than the main play RSC Methods of scansion/analysis with rigorous

rehearsals Open auditions, recruit from SL. Most actors have never met in RL. Performed scenes from Hamlet in our pilot year 2007

Elizabethan-era production Created avatars based on photos submitted by actors Shown in B&W are imagery of avatars created based on

actors

SLSC Productions

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Hamlet Playbills

Hamlet Sets

Hamlet Faces 1

Hamlet Faces 2

Twelfth Night is our main Shakespearean production for ’09 Early work started in Summer of 2008, as a full-costumed

tag-team staged reading series of the entire play. Act 1 (full ensemble) is currently an open-ended run.

Acts 2, 3, 4 & 5 will open in June, September, and November

Set in the “Generic Past,” archetypal character designs

The Domain of Our Theatre is an Evolving Virtual World Second Life is constantly evolving and changing based on what

its users do. The world itself is a very live medium.

Live Demo: Scene from Twelfth Night: Act 1, Scene 2

SLSC 2009: Twelfth Night

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Twelfth Night Playbills

Twelfth Night Sets 1

Twelfth Night Sets 2

Twelfth Night: Duke Orsino Scene 1