Open now at LEA 9, and running through until Sunday, April 26th, is a new BubbleTheatre® play by d-oo-b (Eifachfilm Vacirca). It’s a delight to see. Shows commence every 5 minutes throughout the day, and last for around minutes.
PimperPuppets®: Being Beautiful in the Art Scene runs for about 20 minutes and, as the title suggests, is a piece of puppet theatre, beautifully executed with the help of some tidy scripting. The puppets are avatar-sized creations, and the story unfolds across a series of skyborne sets the audience is carried to by means of automatic teleporting, with cameras specifically placed to follow the story. To watch the show, simply sit in one of the numbered chairs set out at the landing point and tap ESC a couple of times to free-up your camera; a countdown will inform you when the show is due to start.
The story is a satirical take on the world of creatives, and I rather suspect that elements of it might ring uncomfortably true for some involved in SL if they see it! I won’t dwell on the plot too much, as it is fun to see it unfold. Suffice it to say it takes place in the art world, where one artist, offered the opportunity to provide the focal art piece in an upcoming show, struggles mightily with his art (and his angst), such is his need to impress, to create pieces that “give
new dynamics” to the places where they are displayed; meanwhile, another artist finds her work isn’t regarding as needed for the exhibition, and as she considers the first at best over-rated, sets to work on a Machiavellian plan to ensure her art is selected…
It’s a story that is beautifully told, both rich in humour and also darkly prickly in places. Both artists central to the unfolding tale (although not the only characters, the cast is quite broad) are equally pompous when it comes to their own work.
For example, In one delightful scene, the “disregarded” artist – Lucia – sets about describing her work in a manner befitting Arthur Dent when asked to describe his thoughts on Vogon poetry: “It was a physolactic entrocalypse of the etheric dimension … an animophobic introclecstate of profane dialectics, a submorphic frame that stimulates subcutane erections that induce in the cervocularic consciousness a feeling of reanimation.” Later, as the play draws to a close, the other artist, Serge, reaches his point of enlightenment via a soliloquy worthy of Hamlet, one delivered under the an arch formed by two curved knives which themselves carry a strong symbolic undertone…
The puppets, created via a combination of Blender, GIMP and the magic of SL scripting are marvellous creations in and of themselves; they move as required within the individual scenes, and their movement, combined with camera shifts within some of the scenes helps draw the audience further into the play. They’re also available to buy on the Marketplace.
The end of the show will carry you up to an events area, where you may well encounter d-oo-b himself, along with the cast. Live entertainments are scheduled to take place here throughout the show’s run; please see the d-oo-b’s blog for events and times. Should you wish to re-trace your steps through the story, or re-visit individual scenes for the purposes of photography, do note there’s a manual teleport system available as well. Look for the teleport tablet on each level.
As noted, this is an excellent little show, perfectly executed and making clever use of a number of SL capabilities – scripted camera control, teleporting, etc., and all without Experience Tools. I have no hesitation in recommending it for a visit, particularly if you are familiar with the art / creative scene (there are a few of what might be regarded as “inside jokes”) – but do remember, the show ends on Sunday, April 26th.
Related Links
- PimperPuppets®SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
- d-oo-b’s website
