Since the beginning of the new coronavirus, many businesses and companies had their activities disrupted by the need to impose new rules of social isolation, and one of the most affected businesses were theaters. Therefore, these businesses are having to find creative ways to keep themselves running, and one of these ways has been to use virtual reality. 1z1r3h
One of these projects is the partnership between Oculus (company belonging to Facebook and developer of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset) and Tender Claws (a Los Angeles-based development studio focused on creating interactive art), who have teamed up to create The Under Presents: Tempest (The Under Presents: The Tempest), a new interactive virtual reality theatrical experience based on the play The Tempest, by playwright and poet William Shakespeare.
The idea of the project is to allow people to have an experience similar to going to a theater but without having to leave home, using the technology of virtual reality from Oculus to “blur” the boundaries between the real and the imaginary and promote an experience in which the spectator is not just someone who ively watches what is unfolding on stage, but becomes an integral part of the play.
The Tempest virtual reality 2q2l37
Considered by many critics to be the last play written by Shakespeare, The storm is a story that takes place on a remote island where Prospero, Duke of Milan who was usurped from his position by Antony (his own brother), uses magical powers to attract that brother along with the King of Naples to the island, revealing to all present the real nature of Antonio, and to get Miranda married (daughter of the protagonist Prospero) with the prince of Naples, thus guaranteeing the return of the family to the positions of power.
Already in The Under Presents Tempest, viewers are introduced to a Prospero who sets out on a journey to try to come back to life, and needs the viewers' help to succeed in this endeavor.
In this interactive project, spectators are taken into an abandoned theater (virtually, of course) where they meet the actor who is playing Prospero on stage. They then take on the role of spirits, who must help Prospero on his journey, doing things like finding objects or guiding the actor to pieces of the virtual set.
With the exception of the actor who plays Prospero, none of those present have faces or can communicate through speech, these being an exclusivity of the actor who is telling the story. The interaction of people with the actor is done through gestures, and there is a kind of symbiosis in the performance, because at the same time that the spectators are guided by the actor, they also need to do their part for the narrative to move forward.
each session in The Under Presents Tempest has an average duration of 40 minutes, and what differentiates it from a simple game is the fact that the actor who conducts the story is not a recording, but a real person who is there sharing the space at the same time with the spectators. . Just like in theatre, the actors repeat the same role each day, and this helps make each session unique even for those who have previously participated in the experience.
This type of immersive performance is not exactly new (in 2011, the Punchdrunk theater company had already created an experience similar to Sleep No More), but normally these experiences were still thought of as special performances in a physical location, and the pandemic of The new coronavirus has made more projects of this type appear in a virtual way, taking advantage of the technology of virtual reality to offer theater lovers the same kind of experience without the need for crowding in a single enclosed venue.
The Under Presents Tempest takes place in closed sessions, each with between six and eight participants, which can take place simultaneously depending on the number of tickets sold (since there are 11 actors and actresses taking turns in the role of Prospero). The performances take place daily, starting this Thursday (9) until the end of September. It is an exclusive experience for s of the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift, and tickets can be purchased at own virtual store of these products. Check out the trailer below:
Source: Tender claws
