Fools Paradise: Production  

Introduction    Artists     Libretto    Composition     VR Design    Production
  Performance     Images     Future     Score  
     
   
     
 

Partial view of virtual world from above

 

The performance begins with the VR performer located in a cave below the tableland. Her first action is to leave the cave and ascend to the tableland. On the tableland, the sculptures in the working drawings were replaced by icosahedral "gems" in twelve different colors. When the VR performer approaches a gem, it slowly spins and expands. When the VR performer enters the gem, the appropriate musical score pops up on the laptop screens the musicians are watching.

The VR performer was represented in the virtual world by a mask which floated in front of her. The position of the mask was controlled by the three-button wand used for navigation. Within each gem, the VR performer would put on a new mask, representative of the proverb associated with the gem. The moment when the new mask appeared sent a cue to the musicians to begin the short song for the proverb.

Upon leaving the gem, the VR performer travels with the new mask; meanwhile, a large image of the mask replaces the gem. When the performer has visited all the gems, the island is populated by masks, all of them turned toward the performer. Only the first and last masks are fixed elements in the performance; otherwise, the performer is free to move about the landscape. With the closing mask, a bird, the performer flies into the air and follows the stream of words down the center of the island. She turns and looks back over the island, and the final mask is replaced by the mask that represented her at the very beginning of the piece, now turned towards the audience and left floating in the air as the performer, too, turns to look at the audience.

 
     
       

     
 
     
 

Watercolors used for texture maps on masks: (clockwise from upper left) 11 - As the catterpiller chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys. 19 - If others had not been foolish. we should be so. 36 - In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. 28 - Every thing possible to be believ'd is an image of truth.

 
     
 


 
     
 

Three views from the performance: (top to bottom) 43 - The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom. 42 - The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword. are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man. 15 - To create a little flower is the labour of ages.