SLEDcc

This past weekend I attended the Second Life Community Conference, with its educational track (hence the ED in SLcc). I presented a paper on "The Epidauros Project" and the ideas of virtual theatre and performance in SL. The presentation was the final part of a trilogy of presentations begun at the Association of Theatre in Higher Ed; there I talked about creating the production of The Bacchae and also my Theatre Technology class. Here I dealt with ideas of perceived presence in virtual performance--a phrase that sums up my academic research.

As for the presentation: as a theatre person, I criticized my actual performance rather harshly, but I think my paper and ideas were received quite well. I was also quite gratified by the discussion that followed. We talked about how virtual theatre is possible, and debated the issue of directorial control over the spectator's experience. I stated quite bluntly that I hate it when a performance space's seats force me to look at the stage from a single perspective. While my directorial focus is strong in RL, it is much harder to achieve in SL. Yet at what point do we as directors and theatre practitioners surrender control? To contol too much seems not too far removed from machinima to me. At the same time, if we perform our roles well enough, as director or actor, perhaps people will be engaged and not cam around behind the set. [These same comments appear in my RezEd blog; I mention it so no one accuses me of plagiarizing my own blog.]

The coolest thing about the conference was, of course, meeting old and new virtual friends. Last Wednesday, DJ Megh's usual dance party became a spontaeous "come meet us before SLCC!" event. A small group showed up, including Eladon, Monzo, and Echo, who would up sitting with us at Stroker's Ball! It was great to meet, sit and chat with people who had previously been avatars. Also, Megh spotted Lauren Weyland, and so we connected there.

This aragraph may seem out of order, but to go back to my presentation, I did an acknowledgements screen, thanking all of the actors who had appeared in The Bacchae. But of course, there were special thanks to Meghamora Woodward, my SL partner and co-owner of Muse Of Fire, who has done a great deal for me in SL, such as all my graphics work, aided me with productions, and of course has made my SL much more meaningful. Meeting Megh was just...well, amazing is the word!