Day: January 8, 2014

“Me Kikas, you Marma” encore performance

Posted on by Inara Pey

LaPiscean Liberty prompted me indirectly about an encore performance by Marmaduke Arado and Kikas Babenco of their long-running and high-enjoyable show, The Extraordinary Adventures of Kikas & Marmaduke, which features the latest installment: “Me Kikas, you Marma”.

Using the tableaux vivants approach, The Extraordinary Adventures of Kikas & Marmaduke has charted the adventures of the two protagonists as they explore Second Life since around 2010. Along the way, it has provided a high level of amusement for audiences while showcasing the creative potential of the platform.

Marmaduke warms-up in rehearsals while Kikas retains her calm poise
Marmaduke warms-up in rehearsals while Kikas retains her calm poise

In the pieces, best considered 3D graphic novels, Marmaduke is the fearless traveler who unflinchingly throws himself into every situation, regardless of the consequences, determined to explore and face-down dangers, leaving Kikas in the unenviable situation of having to be saviour whilst also striving to keep her elegance intact and her wardrobe fresh!

The encore performance is being hosted by KG Shine Productions at their theatre on LEA2, and will commence at 15:00 SLT on Wednesday January 8th. This is not one to be missed, so get there early to ensure you have a seat; and be ready to participate, as the audience is encouraged to discuss the show as it progresses!

The
The KG Shine Productions theatre at LEA2

Of willows and water and on finding tranquillity

Posted on by Inara Pey

Annwn Willows, January 2014Annwn Willows – click for full size

I first visited Annwn Willows nigh-on a year ago. Back then, it was known as Just Visiting, and  Joanna Corith had – as she explains in the note card visitors receive on arriving – recently (the end of 2012) started creating small builds within the region.

That visit was marked by me suffering from something of a mental block, blog-wise and struggling to put thoughts together on a number of subjects I wanted to write about. My visit helped clear my mind somewhat, each of the vignettes within the region serving to offer a little haven of peace and tranquillity at a time when even Second Life felt like it was getting a little too full of bustle and noise.

Annwn Willows, January 2014Annwn Willows – click for full size

More recently, Annwn Willows has again come to the attention of a number of bloggers: Ziki, Amy, Honour and more, who have all blogged or re-blogged about it – and rightly so; Joanna’s creativity is infectious in the moods and feelings it creates. As it has been close to a year since my last visit, I thought it time I once again bathed, as it were, in the calming influence of her designs.

One of the major attractions to Annwn Willows, for me at least, has been the fact that it is a water-based region, something Joanna acknowledges herself. This helps imbue the region with a sense of peace and calm, and to bring focus to each of the vignettes created within it. With the current design, the aquatic theme is very clear – the region is almost entirely covered in water, with individual scenes to be found both above and below the rippling waves – or in the case of the arrival point, floating over them.

Annwn Willows, January 2014Annwn Willows – click for full size

Don’t be deceived by the apparent “emptiness” here; there is more to Annwn Willows than may initially meet the eye, and careful exploration is encouraged. This is a place merfolk will enjoy exploring, given there is so much to be enjoyed under water. And when you’ve explored all there is down below, either side of the waves, don’t forget the teleport system, which will reveal more to you in the sky above, including the store area, where proceeds help to keep the region alive.

Calas Galadhon Parklands, December 2013Annwn Willows – click for full size

“Annwn Willows is about a story still asleep. It dreams,” the introductory note card tells us. If this is so, then the individual elements within the region are perhaps images of those dreams slipping into a conscious reality, allowing us to share in them, become a part of them – even add to them through our own presence.

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