LITERATURE DRIVES IMAGERY in EXPLORE!

East Egg in EXPLORE - containing information on Tacoma Little Theatre

"And so it happened that on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all. Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens--finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run."                                    


(Text from Chapter 1 of THE GREAT GATSBY. Nick introducing his first visit to Tom & Daisy Buchanan's home in East Egg)

The eyes of Dr. T,J, Eckleburg over EXPLORE's Valley of Ashes

"...above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic--their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground."

(Text from Chapter 2 of THE GREAT GATSBY introducing The Valley of Ashes)

WE'RE OPEN: Welcome!

The virtual construction is still underway, with more features and functions being added every day!

So you might find us still creating and scripting doors, adding links, working on the Welcome Center.  Say "howdee" and go ahead and explore.  Then come back again and explore some more.  EXPLORE The Great Gatsby construction will continue through the first week of February and will be open to the virtual public through February 22nd. We feature progress right here, so you can get updated and then come and check it out for yourself.

FRIDAY, January 16th at 7pm (Pacific) we will pause the hammers and saws for a lovely hour of literature (imagine that!?) as live voice programming begins with Part 1 of The Great Gatsby presented by Kayden Oconnell in Gallery Park.  it will be the first of an entire series of readings at EXPLORE which will include Fitzgerald's great American novel, as well as other stories from the author's canon.

The iconic sign in the Valley of Ashes

For opening weekend, these sessions will all take place in Gallery Park: cross the bridge from the Welcome Center, turn right in the Valley of Ashes and walk towards the bridge to East Egg and the Fitzgerald Gallery.  Gallery Park is just around the bend, to your right, once you clear the ash heaps.

Miss our first session?  No problem!  There are more coming.

Join us Saturday, January 17th at 9am (Pacific) for Winter Dreams, an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story.

Gallery Park, just East of the ash heaps

At Noon on Saturday, Caledonia will repeat of Part 1 of The Great Gatsby.

Come along and listen to Fitzgerald's marvelous words, and then explore the nearby Fitzgerald Gallery, with EVENTS tab for updated schedule information.  Times and voice talent subject to change, and hey!  we might even add some discussions and other events!  So stay tuned!
links to the author's works and biographical information on his life.  There's much, much more to come, so take a landmark and mark your calendar.  Check back to the

grid.kitely.com:8002:EXPLORESeanchai

And accessible from the Seanchai Library homeworld in Kitely - from the main landing zone use the EXPLORE teleport gate.

OR IF YOU ARE NEW TO VIRTUAL WORLDS, check out the HOW TO FIND EXPLORE tab for some options of how to find your way to this little corner of the grid.

Welcome to the world of THE GREAT GATSBY

Seanchai Library is proud to debut EXPLORE the Stories Behind the Art with Tacoma Little Theatre, among the oldest community theaters in the nation and the oldest on the U.S. west coast with a rich heritage going back to 1918.

“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” —Nick Carraway

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel is keenly relevant today.  It challenges ideas of romance, success, and the American Dream that we still struggle with.  Tacoma Little Theatre will be presenting Simon Levy’s stage adaptation, Directed by Dale Westgaard, of the classic 1925 novel January 23 through February 8, 2015 at its theater in Tacoma's Stadium District..

EXPLORE Gatsby, is a three dimensional guide to information meant to add to the experience of attending and enjoying the play.  Created in the virtual platform known as Kitely, EXPLORE will feature an interactive environment based on the novel, and will offer live presentations of the source literature that TLT patrons, and fans of the novel from all over the world can enjoy through their home computers.

EXPLORE will be open to online to guests, patrons, and metaverse explorers January 15^th with live programming beginning January 16^th.  The Gatsby inspired environment will remain open to the public through February 22nd. The schedule of live events is in the planning stages.

While EXPLORE looks like a game, it is not.  No one "wins" or "loses." It uses a gaming platform and technology to build customized community based cultural, and educational events without physical or localized barriers.


Planned features of EXPLORE will include:

• The Guest House – The entry point, this structure will provide support and basic information for those new to virtual worlds, as well as provide entry links to other places of interest on the Kitely Grid and within EXPLORE. It will be situated on an island separated from the Gatsby sections of the environment by a bridge.
• The Valley of Ashes – In the novel, this is the central point that connects West Egg and East Egg to the rest of the world.  “This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of ash-grey men” Crossing the bridge into this central point, visitors will be able to explore information specifically about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life and works, as well as information regarding the widening divide in 1920s America between the “haves” and the “have nots.”
• West Egg – Jay Gatsby’s mansion and Nick Carraway’s guest cottage will be the setting for live readings of the unedited text of the novel, beginning the evening of January 16^th.  In the works as well are possible online discussions with TLT production personnel.  The environment will provide links to information regarding society and culture of the 1920s, and the motifs evoked in the novel.
• East Egg – Across the water from West Egg, and connected by the Valley of Ashes, is the location of the home of Daisy Buchanan (object of Jay Gatsby’s obsession) and her husband.  Step through the doors of The Buchanan mansion and find yourself in the Lobby of Tacoma Little Theatre. Learn about its 97 year history, explore the auditorium, and stroll through a virtual recreation of the actual stage setting for TLT’s production of The Great Gatsby.  You can even sit in the seats!

Check this site for more information January 15^th approaches.  Share your ideas on what sort of live online programming you would enjoy by leaving a comment.

To get a clearer sense of what EXPLORE Gatsby will offer, enjoy these two video samples which were prepared by Seanchai Library for other, similar projects.