On Wednesday March 5th, the Basilique Performing Arts Company announced that Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin will open on Saturday April 5th – and within hours, the black-tie premiere performance was sold out!
Due to the demand for tickets, and with audience numbers limited to 40 per performance, a second premiere show will take place on Sunday April 6th, 2014, commencing at 12:00 noon.
While the initial press notes from earlier in the year for the production had indicated it would be free to attend, the Company has decided to charge L$1,000 for tickets. Of this, 50% of the ticket cost will go directly to supporting the World Wildlife Fund’s Adopt a Gorilla programme, and the welfare of the Company’s adopted baby mountain gorilla, Ihoho.
50% of ticket costs will go to the World Wildlife Adopt a Gorilla Programme and the welfare of Ihoho
The remaining proceeds of ticket sales will go towards offsetting the cost of developing, mounting and running a production as elaborate as Paradise Lost in Second Life.
Tickets are available via the SL Marketplace, and each includes two unique and themed mesh avatars audience members are encouraged to wear when attending a performance. These avatars have been designed by Sian Pearl, and comprise an angel and a demon, in keeping with the overall theme of the production, which sees elements of each performance taking place among the audience.
The angel and demon avatars by Sian Pearl and commissioned especially for Paradise Lost in Second Life, are supplied with each ticket to a performance (image courtesy of Canary Beck)
I’ve had the good fortune to cover a little of the preparations that have gone in to this production – and I do mean a little. Paradise Lost represents a huge and complex undertaking by the Basilique company, one that is fascinating to read about and discover. As such, I thoroughly recommend anyone with an interest in theatrical production in SL, or in the subject matter itself, and who has not already done so, take a read of Canary Beck’s and Harvey Crabstick’s blogs.
For those interested in sponsoring the premiere season of Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin, there are still a number of slots available. Please contact either Becky or Harvey if you are interested.
Combining John Milton’s classic poem in blank verse with the Süssmayr completion of Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor, and using dance and ballet, Paradise Lost promises to be one of the most creative productions yet seen in a virtual environment such as Second Life.
This is not one to be missed – watch the trailers and see why.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Canary Beck and Harvey Crabsticks about their upcoming production of Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin, which is set to premiere with the Basilique Performing Arts Company in Spring 2014.
As regulars know, I’ve been following the work of the Company of late, both with their production of Romeo + Juliet (soon to be a part of a special AIR installation with the LEA), and now with Paradise Lost itself, so I was especially pleased when Becky and Harvey pinged me with an invitation to sit down with them.
Taking a break: Canary Beck (l) and Harvey Crabsticks take a break from production preparations to chat with me about Paradise Lost
This is an incredibly ambitious project, setting Milton’s classic poem in blank verse to dance and the music of the Süssmayr completion of Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor, and one which – as Harvey unsurprisingly told me – has tended to push SL’s capabilities hard, particularly as they approach curtain up for the first time.
After getting ourselves comfortable, Harvey picked-up on the technology headaches they’ve encountered in preparing Paradise Lost. “The last couple of weeks we’ve been pushing things to the absolute limit,” he says wryly. “We’ve had to do a lot of work to overcome those hurdles. One of the toughest challenges over the last few weeks has been dealing with script memory limits, but we’re mostly over that hurdle now.”
Scripting isn’t the only element that has proven challenging for this production. Choreographing up to nine avatars on – and over – the stage at the same time, and in time to the movements of Mozart’s Requiem is no easy matter, as Becky points-out, “I think we really hit a few roadblocks when started introducing nine avatars into one scene together, totalling over 600 independent actions inside 3 and half minutes!”
Traditionally, when working on a theatre production, directors turn to a process known as blocking scenes: arranging where actors appear on stage, how they move around the stage during interactions, etc., and then leave. However, Paradise lost includes battles between angels and demons within the heavenly realms above the stage. “It’s not something you see every day,” Becky confides with a smile. “Sometimes that can get a bit mind bending!” It’s also something not easily handled by conventional scene blocking.
Blocking the way: a digital update to the traditional means of “blocking” actor movements through a scene. Coloured prims represent each character and plot the moves they must make and actions they take through a scene
To cope with this – and the 43 credited roles within the production – Becky and Harvey have literally taken the process of blocking back to its original roots as first used by Sir W. S. Gilbert, who employed a model of his stage with actors represented actors with small blocks, hence the term. However, with Paradise Lost, the approach has been given a distinctly digital twist; characters and their movements (both on the ground and in the air) being represented by coloured prims which can be placed within the actual sets themselves, allowing cast and production crew clearly visualise what is going on and when; essential when a single actor may be responsible for more than one character.
It’s a time-consuming task, as Becky confides. “It takes 36 hours to plan the most simple scene.” Harvey nods in agreement, adding, “The biggest scene – the aerial battle, is up over 100 hours of effort so far.” However, it is also one vital to such a complex production.
Another view of the blocking process, captured up in the Basilique Company’s workshop / rehearsals area
By using blocking this way, and combining it with the choreography and timing imposed by the music, it is possible to construct what Becky calls a “score”. Like its musical namesake, this score allows the actors, stage manager and director to clearly understand what is going on and who is doing what and when and where they’re doing in, and the correct cues given and followed.
Another element to the production which has presented its own challenges is that of sets. Not only are there multiple sets required – ten in total, some of which extend into the audience space, thus making them a part of the story – but some contain elements common to one another, and scene changes need to be relatively smooth and seamless. The result has been to layer the scenes over one another, using transparency and phantom capabilities together with scripting to enable fast, fluid control of the sets – which is visible, which aren’t, what common parts are there for use, and so on.
Taking all of this approach into account, it seemed to me that Paradise Lost is very much a theatrical production in the fullest sense of the word; a view Harvey agreed with, “One of the things that we’ve been quite pleased with is that we’ve been able to transition from a largely danced based production,” that of Romeo + Juliet, “to one that has dance as a key element, but which is far more theatrical. I think it’s fair to say our ambitions for what we want to say and how we want to say it have elevated as a result.”
Even so, the dance element is obviously apparent; indeed, dance here is very much the narrative, more so than even with Romeo + Juliet. Was this a deliberate choice of direction, rather than opting for something perhaps leaning back towards more use of voice or text?
Becky and Harvey
“We’ve seen lots of SL theatre that is essentially avatars voicing,” Becky observes.”While we appreciate it can be done well, we find that SL as a platform lends itself to so much more than mimicking what might be done on stage by fleshy actors. But we have so much more control over what we can do here.”
“We feel quite strongly that what we do is something different, and new,” Harvey continues, again demonstrating the closeness of their creative minds. “Some elements of RL theatre are present of course, but it’s a new medium.”
A little while ago, I was invited by Canary Beck and Harvey Crabsticks, the creative team behind the The Basilique Performing Arts Company, to witness three scenes from their upcoming production of Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin, which will premiere this Spring (see the comments at the end of my review of the Company’s Romeo + Juliet).
Now the company has released the third trailer for the production. It features elements of the scenes the cast enacted on my behalf in January, comprising Adam and Eve’s sin and consequent banishment from Eden. Accompanying the trailer on Canary’s blog is a passage from the Ninth Book of Milton’s epic poem, which I offer here as well, in both the original and modern forms, as Adam laments what has come to pass.
O Eve, in evil hour thou didst give ear
To that false Worm, of whomsoever taught
To counterfeit Man’s voice—true in our fall,
False in our promised rising; since our eyes
Opened we find indeed, and find we know
Both good and evil, good lost and evil got
Oh Eve, it was an evil hour when you listened
To that false worm, taught by somebody
To imitate the voice of Man, truthful in saying we would fall,
Lying about our promised rise; since our eyes
Have opened we have indeed discovered that we know
Both good and evil; good lost and evil found.
Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin has been specially choreographed and set to the fourteen movements of Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor. It promises to be a tremendous production. I’ll be bringing you more news as it is announced.
As I recently noted, the Linden Endowment for the Arts have announced the successful applicants for the 6th round of Artists in Residence (AIR) grants.
Tyrehl Byk: returning to the LEA
All of the successful applicants, who will be receiving the use of one full region supplied by the LEA each for a six month period, are to be congratulated. However, and without wishing to sound like I’m playing favourites, there are a couple in particular that I’m looking forward to.
The first of these is Tyrehl Byk. The master of the particle, Tryehl’s work is nothing short of astounding, as anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing shows like Catharsis and Particle Phantasmagoria can more than confirm.
I’ve no idea what Tyrehl has planned for his installation at the LEA, or whether it will be particle-focused; but I am convinced it will not disappoint, and I’m already eagerly waiting to hear more – which admittedly may not come until he’s ready to unveil his installation.
The other item I’m fairly bouncing about getting to see is from a team new to the LEA, although they have already established themselves as a creative tour de force in performance arts within Second Life, having established the Basilique Performing Arts Company.
I’m of course talking about Canary Beck and Harvey Crabsticks who, as their stunning Romeo+ Juliet approaches the end of its fourth season, will be trasferring it to the LEA as a part of an interactive, educational multi-media exhibit which will allow visitors to not only witness performances of their interpretation of Shakespeare’s immortal play about tragic love and loss, but to immerse themselves in the world of Romeo and Juliet.
“We envision building a full, open-air sim laid out on ground level making the scenes in Romeo + Juliet come to life. We hope that becoming associated with LEA will help us expand our reach to a broader audience,” Canary states, announcing the plans in her blog. She goes on:
At the centre of the sim will be the Basilique Playhouse where the play will be performed on a weekly basis, beginning in March.
The aim of this project is to build on our past work in presenting the play, augmenting the experience for visitors beyond spectator status, but rather as involved, participating, and interactive “actors” in the work, in three dimensions.
Extending on the themes of the play, and surrounding the playhouse, will be four highly immersive and distinct quarters giving the visitor the impression they have stepped back in time.
Relive the Basilique Performing Arts Company’s Romeo+Juliet and immerse yourself in scenes from the play
The four immersive environments will comprise a public piazza and streets that one would have found in Verona at the time of the play’s setting; the Capulet family’s mansion where Romeo and Juliet first encounter one another at a ball, which will contain Juliet’s bedroom and the orchard beneath it where Romeo famously woos her; the town of Mantua, to which Romeo is banished after killing Tybalt; and finally, the chapel in which will reside Friar Laurence’s cell and the Capulet family tomb where Romeo and Juliet find their eternal rest.
Visitors will be able to witness performances of the production, re-create famous scenes from the play themselves, and engage in an interactive, HUD-based hunt / game based on challenges and clues surrounding the play, and the life of William Shakespeare.
The installation is to be developed in phases over a two-month period, opening its doors to the public on March 1st for perfomances and the additional quarters opening progressively as they are completed.
Having see the dedication and talents of Canary and Harvey – and the Basilique Performing Arts Company – I have little doubt that everything that is being promised will be delivered. This really is an exhibition – an event – you will not want to miss. Hopefully, and with Canary’s permission, I’ll be able to bring more news on this project as things progress.
“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name;” – Romeo+Juliet, the Basilique Performing Arts Company
I’ve recently blogged a few times about the Basilique Performing Arts Company’s productions, both the upcoming Paradise Lost and the current Romeo + Juliet. The latter is now into its final run for the current season, having just four more presentations to go during January and February. Lauded and acclaimed since opening in April 2013, this really is a show not to be missed, and I do encourage anyone who has not seen it to take advantage of the remaining four show dates and attend a performance; you will not be disappointed.
Those familiar with the filmography of Baz Luhrmann may spot from the production’s title that it carries something of a hat-tip towards his 1996 cinematic piece starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes. However, this isn’t merely a transcribing of Luhrmann’s cult classic; this production more than stands on its own as a slick and creative retelling of the tale of tragic love and star cross’d lovers.
With a costume style carrying a distinctly mid-1940s USA look, complete with sharp suits, fedoras, brogues and automatic handguns but with a distinctly renaissance-inspired feel to the sets, the production has been beautiful conceived and directed by Canary Beck (who is also the narrator) and produced by Harvey Crabsticks. Dance and music lay at the heart of the production, the latter from the likes of Nat King Cole, Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, Michael Buble, Jack Black, Carl Douglas, Moby, Duran Duran, The Indigo Girls, and Queen.
This eclectic soundtrack brilliantly enhances each scene, bringing to each a sense of mood which is very cleverly conceived and, in places, not a little mischievous. At the start of the performance, for example, Mercutio, standing-in for Benvolio, has his view that love is a simple matter of sexual appetite engagingly underlined in the opening number, Straighten-up and Fly Right as he seeks to lift the spirits of a downcast Romeo. Later, his showdown with Tybalt is played-out to Carl Davis’ Kung-Fu Fighting, which, despite the tragic outcomes of that confrontation and the one which immediately follows it, again underlines Mercutio’s irreverent outlook on life.
One also cannot mention the music within the play without mention of the choreography. This is simply exquisite, the dances clearly conceived and executed to suit the numbers to which they are danced, further lifting Romeo+Juliet into the realm of the extraordinary. Through the combination of dance and the accompanying soundtrack, the audience experiences the range of emotions reflected in the tale, such as both the passion Juliet and Romeo feel for one another, and the pain of unrequited love Paris feels towards Juliet. In the case of Paris in particular, the use of music and dance further serves to make him more of a sympathetic character than perhaps the original play allows.
The nods towards Luhrmann’s film are not limited to the name of this production, either, but are cleverly carried through several scenes. Note Juliet’s costume for the Capulet feast, for example, and the use of television sets between each set, which are reminiscent of Luhrmann’s use of news broadcasts to convey the broader strife between the two families. Other motifs from the film are also used with great effect in the production, most notably, perhaps, during Act V.
All told, the Basilique Performing Arts Company’s Romeo+Juliet is a remarkable piece which substantially raises the bar for performance art and drama in Second Life. Aso noted at the top of this article, if you’ve not already seen it, I cannot recommend it highly enough nor urge you strongly enough to make sure you do. Full kudos to all involved.
“O my love! my wife! Death, that hath suck’d the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty” – Romeo+Juliet the Basilique Performing Arts Company
The last four presentations for the current run of the production will be:
Saturday, January 25th, 13:00
Saturday, February 1st, 13:00
Saturday, February 8th, 13:00
Friday, February 14th, 13:00
All performances take place at The Basilique Playhouse. Please refer to my earlier article on the production for notes on how to enjoy it to the fullest.
A Sneak Preview
Following the performance of Romeo+Juliet on Sunday January 19th, Canary and Harvey generously invited me backstage to the rehearsals area for the Company’s upcoming new production Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin, which opens in Spring 2014, and which currently has an open casting call for a number of roles.
While backstage, I was privileged to see a performance of three scenes from the new production. Sadly – although fully understandably – I was asked not to take any pictures while the cast were performing, so I cannot visually share just how impressive Paradise Lost will be. However, I can say, with hand firmly on heart, that the production further builds on the incredible work that has gone into Romeo+Juliet, and promises to be something extraordinarily special in Second Life when the curtain rises this spring.
It is evident that considerable effort has been put into refining and improving the techniques used within Romeo+Juliet, and an enormous amount of care and attention has again been put into developing choreography which carefully and precisely matches Mozart’s Requiem. This will definitely not be a production to miss, and I’m already keenly anticipating its opening.
I’ve been covering preparations for the upcoming production of Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin, which will be staged by the Basilique Performing Arts Company starting in spring 2014.
A re-telling of the original sin based on John Milton’s Paradise Lost, choreographed and set to the fourteen movements of Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor, the production is both ambitious and one of the most highly anticipated theatre events of Second Life, following on the heels of the Company’s lauded and acclaimed Romeo + Juliet.
And now YOU have the opportunity to be a part of the show.
Canary Beck and Harvey Crabsticks, the creative pair behind the production have issued a casting call. On offer are six parts within the production, two of which are to be played by the same actor. The six are:
Beelzebub – Satan’s right hand man, counsel-at-war, mastermind of the infiltration into Eden and more, and who appears in three scenes of the performance. The person behind this avatar will also be asked to play Moses – part of a dream sequence, Moses does what Moses does best, much to the annoyance of Pharaohs
Moloch – Satan’s War Captain and all-round war monger. Also seen in three scenes. The person behind this avatar will also be asked to play Noah – he of the flood and very large floating menagerie fame. Also seen in a dream sequence
Belial – another of Satan’s Fallen, a cunning beguiler working against those who would have war and manipulating things for her / his own advantage; appears in three scenes
Mammon – a Prince of Hell eager to see it industrialised and its resources exploited (no doubt lining her / his own pockets with gold and precious gems along the way). Again appears in three scenes.
Adam and Eve by Caitlin Tobias on Flickr – click to enlarge
Requirements in Brief
No prior experience of acting is required, nor are there any special technical requirements or skills requested. Applicants will not be expected to use voice
Preferred applicants are those with reliable Internet connections who are prepared to commit to 2 hours a week at weekends (13:00 Saturdays or 12:00 noon Sundays) for a 12-week season (March through June 2014)
Fully costumed and kitted avatars will be supplied to the successful applicants for the duration of the production.
Successful applicants will also receive 50% of all tips donated to them during performances, the remaining 50% going towards funding the Basilique Performing Arts Company’s adoption of Ihoho, an infant mountain gorilla living in Rwanda. you can read more about why the Company has decided to adopt a baby mountain gorilla on Canary’s blog.
For full details on the roles and the requirements, please refer to Canary’s blog post.
How to Apply
Supply a note card in-world to either Canary Beck or Harvey Crabsticks (crabsticks Resident), giving your name and any information you feel relevant by no later than Friday January 31st, 2014.
Romeo + Juliet in Second Life
Sunday January 19th marks the 31st performance of the Basilique Performing Arts Company’s Romeo + Juliet in Second Life. This means that, including the Sunday presentation, there are only five performances of this acclaimed production left in the winter season. These are (all times SLT):
Sunday, January 19th, 12:00 noon
Saturday, January 25th, 13:00
Saturday, February 1st, 13:00
Saturday, February 8th, 13:00
Friday, February 14th, 13:00
All performances are at The Basilique Playhouse, and the show comes very highly recommended – it really should not be missed. See also my notes on the production’s winter season and on attending a performance.
On Wednesday March 5th, the Basilique Performing Arts Company announced that Paradise Lost: The story of Adam and Eve’s original sin will open on Saturday April 5th – and within hours, the black-tie premiere performance was sold out!
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