Moving Ahead With EXPLORE

Our pilot project this winter with Tacoma Little Theatre was a success.  We are pleased to announce that we are moving forward with several interested organizations, and seeking support for more EXPLORE projects.

The focus of EXPLORE is to provide a visual framework around real-time, live activity - readings of source material or related literature, discussion forums, continuing education programs, etc.  EXPLORE creates a virtual environment which anyone can access from an average home computer with internet service.  The environment allows for the self-selected experience by the user: attending/listening/participating in live programs, exploring the environment and clicking on objects linked to online resources related to the featured work or project.  (Click About EXPLORE for more)

Students in the TLT Lobby using EXPLORE

Here's our wrap up of
EXPLORE The Great Gatsby:

"My daughter just came home from the theater and she was raving about this!" 

                 ~ Parent of a Student attending Tacoma Little Theater's opening night performance

"With a wealth of interactive elements throughout, including links to the Tacoma Little Theatre, resources that explore the story of the Great Gatsby in more detail, and the opportunity to really immerse yourself a a piece of truly great American literature, Explore the Great Gatsby is very much worth taking the time to visit – and if you haven’t already done so, I’d urge you to so"

                 ~  Inara Pey, Living In a Modem World -  "Of Mansions and motifs"

Wide shot of "EXPLORE GATSBY" Similation

"(Tacoma Little Theatre has) . . . teamed up with Seanchai to create a learning experience, which is perfect for people of any age. This is certainly not the first literary sim in the metaverse, not even in OpenSim; both OSGrid and Craft have had some lovely didactic builds. . . But while it may not be an original idea - if such a thing even exists- it is an exquisitely executed one. Caledonia Skytower and friends have put together the fabric of the story, the bricks and mortar if you like - in an original and beautiful way."

                   ~ Thirza Ember, pings from the afterlife - "Goodbye to Gatsby"

Audience members gather around the big screen at TLT during intermission

EXPLORE The Great Gatsby  was open from January 16 - March 1, 2015, and included:

• Ten hours of live voice presentations from the novel.
• Three tours to virtual world exploring groups with participants from all over the world
• Exposure to over 1500 TLT patrons and guests through TLT performances - preshow and at intermission
• Over 100 Hypergrid visitors nationally and internationally, including visitors from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
• A full region, custom built environment inspired by the places and events of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel: The Valley of Ashes; East Egg (The Buchanan mansion); West Egg (Gatsby's mansion and Nick Carraway's rental cottage).
• A custom built interior replica of the the commissioning partner's (Tacoma Little Theater) lobby and theater, including links of relevance to their stage production and the company in general.
• A gallery space linking to the text or information on the entire canon of written works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, in addition to links to a variety of biographical sources on the author
• Curatorial links through out the build to social and economic issues, art deco, early jazz, major events, flappers, prohibition, and other information or significance to the story.
• Additional information on the website as to characters, plot and other supporting information.
• A welcome center and orientation area for those new to virtual worlds.
• "How To" information via the tabs on this project website.

Check out these work sample videos we created to demonstrate the look and interactivity of EXPLORE

Look for announcements about new EXPLORE projects soon!