Performing Arts

  • Bookings open for Le Cirque De Nuit 2018

    Magic sparkles across the skies above Idle Rogue as the beloved production, Le Cirque de Nuit awakens for 2018.

    Basing their work on Erin Morgenstern’s novel, The Night Circus, dance entertainers, Idle Rogue Productions lead enchanted audiences back into a steampunk circus that is traditionally performed over the Easter break, this year on March 30 and 31 and April 1 at 7pm , with an additional matinee performance on March 31 at 3pm.

    The 2018 Production is directed by Blaze DeVivre with the assistance of Sho Kyong.

    Morgenstern’s story, set in the 19th century and traversing Europe and the US, is an intrigue that sees a natural-born magician pitted in ruthless competition against a highly trained illusionist. The arena for their battle is a traveling circus, and each bout adds more dazzling illusion to the wildly popular but always enigmatic Night Circus.

     Using the novel’s setting as a background to their own stories, Idle Rogue’s production features dance acts with steampunk, illusion and circus themes, each built, as is the Idle Rogue tradition, by the dancer performing it. True to the novel, the Circus acts, props and costumes are created in black and white.

     Dance acts are interspersed with viewings of art installations constructed in blazing colour and this year’s prestigious roll call sees installations by ToySoldier ThorNoma FaltaExhibitionista Nirvana, Candace Kuhn & Tozh Taurog, Gloriana Maertens, Crap MarinerVoodoo Shilton, Gamma Infinity and Maar Volous.

     This year’s production includes a special guest appearance by Seanchai Library, who will provide pre-show entertainment with readings from The Night Circus by Cale Skytower, whose story-telling skills are unmatched in Second Life, adding a literary lustre we think our audiences will thoroughly enjoy.

     Bookings:

     Bookings for the 2018 season of Le Cirque De Nuit open on March 22nd at 4:00pm. From that hour onward, you will be able to IM Saturday Melody inworld to add your name to the allocation list, time stamps will ensure bookings are processed fairly. Leave a message indicating your first and second performance preferences and the names of those in your booking. Be sure to check the Autoresponse message that will be generated when you open Saturday’s IM for updated details for any scheduling changes.

     Please note: Idle Rogue’s fan group – Guerilla Burlesque Exclusive – receive first and best preference to all shows on Idle Rogue. This affects bookings as follows:

     March 30 – 7pm performance – Guerilla Burlesque Exclusive only

    March 31 – 3pm performance – 20 seats for exclusive group, 20 seats for general admission

    March 31 – 7pm performance – 20 seats for exclusive group, 20 seats for general admission

    April 1 – 7pm performance – 20 seats for exclusive group, 20 seats for general admission

    The sim will be locked to all but those whose names are on the access list at each show, unless the seat limit of 40 guests total is not filled, at which time the sim will be opened for general audience intake. Please allow for the Linden Lab limitation of 10% of the avatar limit (5-10 avatars)held for premium memberships. While we will do everything within our capacity to ensure you can access the sim on the night you have booked, please note this arrangement is a courtesy only and no obligation is implied.

     All performances will include an after-party event featuring steampunk and electro-swing tunes and an opportunity to meet with the cast and crew. No admission is charged to Le Cirque de Nuit, but you are encouraged to consider tipping the production to affray individual and group expenses. When you are attending any animated show in Second Life, please reduce your impact on the sim’s resources by removing scripted huds and devices, and face and body lighting.

     

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     Reprinted by permission from the Idle Rogue Blog

    http://idlerogue.org/2018/03/22/bookings-open-for-le-cirque-de-nuit-2018/

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  • A Storyteller's Notebook: June 2017

    This Month Featuring: Caravanserai 1

    Storytelling is a term that covers so many different expressive media. Even within a single platform such as Second Life, you find diverse performances, people challenging the boundaries of visual art as well as refining more traditional approaches.  When we are lucky, several disciplines combine to tell a story greater than the sum of its constituent episodes.  That is certainly the case with Carvanserai 1, making its debut this Saturday, June 24th at 7am as part of June's cavalcade of educational workshops and performances known as SL MOOC 2017.

    Now don't let the word "educational" spook you. This is definitely entertainment as well as enrichment.  All the best entertainment also teaches, generally without your ever noticing. Caravanserai is cleverly conceived to celebrate the natural exchange of culture and the arts that took place along the Silk Road, beginning as early as the second century BCE and continuing for over a millennia. "After trading all day in silks and spices, at night travelers were entertained with stories, poetry, song and dance. They learnt each other's languages and became the conduit for the world great ideas in ancient times - from the mathematical zero to appreciation of a cup of tea or coffee." shared Chris Mooney-Singh, producer of the program.

     

    "This project is an attempt to share the East-West dialogue I have been having for years with my co-organizer Kaylee West, a tertiary lecturer who conceived and runs Chinese Island in Second Life for Monash University. We decided to share our thoughts about East-West culture and created Caravanserai as an occasional artistic and intellectual platform for this," he continues.

    Singh narrates the hour long program, featuring his own adaptation of The Elephant and the Six Blind Menoriginal songs, special musical guest - gypsy violinist Navtali Torok, and James Elroy Flecker's 1913 verse drama The Golden Road to Samarkand.  Singh is joined by actors Pip Albatros, Corwyn Allen, and Mavromichali Szondi.  There will be a screening of a machinima based on the Edwin Thumboo poem "Ulysses by the Merlion" in which the speaker is Ulysses, the Homeric hero. By strange design or cosmic accident he finds himself in Asia, confronting this strange dragon, or naga-like creature and the Asian sea culture that it represents.

    "Culture travels in the saddle bags of history and in the light of new moves toward the New Silk Road today, perhaps our digital metaphor of barter and intellectual exchange can contribute new dialogue among pixel sand dunes and through virtual avatars on camels well into this millennium," Singh further shared, "In the future, this will be even more dynamic and VR goggles will make this experience far more immersive than even it is at present."

    Sited in a desert oasis skybox on Monash University's region, Singh notes, " Kaylee and I have been able to a create digital desert way station on the virtual Silk Road like a theatre or film set for an event that includes storytelling, theatre, a machinima screening debut with intellectual discussion, a spoken word offering and a live gypsy violin performance. Executing that in real life can be challenging. In virtual worlds, there are many human resources available to make this a reality without any real budget, except ones time."

    Yet, this virtual way station is by no means a permanent feature. They are ready to take their show on the road!  "We hope to reprise this first show for new audiences in the future, create new ones, and perhaps develop this occasional platform into a larger festival or Caravanserai Fair, spread over 2-3 days like any other festival in real life. Join us. The camel train is waiting," invited Singh.

    In addition to being a part of SL MOOC 2017, Carvanserai 1 is also a benefit for Feed A Smile (Kenya), another of Second Life's great philanthropic success stories.  100 Lindens pays for one child's meal in the German-based Feed a Smile charity's school in Kenya. One third of the school's monthly food budget is raised by virtual events in Second Life.

    More information about this program at http://www.thewriterscentre.org/caravanserai-project

    Check out the Teaser Trailer here on SLArtists!  

    Caravanserai 1

    At Monash University in Second Life

    Saturday, June 24th at 7am slt

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Monash%20University/142/140/2490

     

    GOING ON THIS MONTH:

    ~ ON THE MOVE: Seanchai Library celebrates the opening of their new Holly Kai site,  featuring stories of ships, and the sea.

    Sunday, June 25th  1:30 - 3:00pm slt

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holly%20Kai%20Estates/215/44/27

    ~ A GLOBAL CREATION STORY: An encore performance, folklorist and theologian, Dubhna Rhiadra has spend years of studying and thinking about the many creation tales from around the world.  She shares some of those legendary stories of "in the beginning" live in voice at LEA 18 - EXISTENCE IN THE BALANCE

    Saturday, June 24th, 2-3 pm slt

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA18/224/98/119

    ~ NIAMH'S JOURNEY OF DREAMS concludes this month at Mistwood Isle - CK Ballyhoo's latest watercolour creation inspired by Cybele Moon's original adaptation of a Celtic legend.  Follow the walk and read the story as you follow in the steps of Niamh as she searches for her scattered dreams.

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Storybrooke/20/13/32

     

    KNOW OF A COOL SPOKEN WORD OR STORYTELLING VENUE/EVENT? Send me a notecard (Caledonia Skytower) with the basics and a landmark, and I will be happy to check them out as a possible feature.

    This Month's Quote:  “You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”

    ― Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

     

    IMAGE CREDITS: Caledonia Skytower

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  • Wonderful Designs Posters in Virtual Worlds

     Reflexion about high quality POSTERS done in SL

     

    Any Machinima is not really finish without views, till it have feedback and public. One way to get more views, overall online, outside virtual worlds, is making good machinima posters and move them online, on facebook or on other social media tools.

     

    The history of cinema has very good examples of posters, some designed by artists and / or designers that are remembered. An image could be a strong CALL and reveals too a good finish layout way and reclaims for watching a movie.

     

    On machinima production, I think this aspect is forgotten usually by machinimators; However, in Second Life there are excellent creatives who make fantastic posters.
    A good example of this is the temporary exhibition POSTERS accompanying the event Rhapsody

     

    These example are outstanding posters done by Strawberry Singh, awarded photographer, and Anya OhMai, designer for advertising the event.

     

    I think Machinima Producers and Second Life Machinima Directors we have to worry up and take more care of these details, and stop thinking “I have not time for that”. A good poster is also a work of art, and overall, branding our work correctly is important and useful.

    Sometimes a detail makes the difference


    The collection of inspirational posters done by Berry and Anya, can be seen in SL here until July 12th, and online through this link.Take a look!

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rubystarlight/sets/72157645187698072

     Glasz

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