SL ARTS & LITERATURE UPDATE: Avatar Repertory Virtual Play Buffet Tonight!

Tonight at 5pm SLT will be the latest servings from the Avatar Repertory Theater's Virtual Short Play Buffet.  If you are lover of theater, this is a "Do Not Miss" Event.  Avatar Repertory Theater received 113 short plays to their call for submissions for ten minute plays. At A.R.T.’s Plays Around, Fridays at 5 pm PDT, 30 of the plays are being read from March 25-May 13. The audience votes their favorites each week. The votes of the A.R.T. troupe will be included in the final tally for the 5-6 plays to be fully produced during July.  You can view a list of the plays and see some  of the tally of votes at http://www.avatarrepertorytheater.org/node/70

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: The Play Buffet Feast Continues . . .

Several weeks ago I wrote about the Avatar Repertory Theater’s Virtual Short Play Buffet.  Avatar Repertory Theater received 113 short plays to their call for submissions for ten minute plays. At A.R.T.’s Plays Around, Fridays at 5 pm PDT, 30 of the plays are being read from March 25-May 13. The audience votes their favorites each week. The votes of the A.R.T. troupe will be included in the final tally for the 5-6 plays to be fully produced during July.  You can view a list of the plays and see some  of the tally of votes at http://www.avatarrepertorytheater.org/node/70

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: “Act Up!" at The Lonely Yak Roadhouse

Don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything. ~ Colleen Patrick-Goudrea

*****

When I first went to the Lonely Yak Roadhouse in Piper Point I felt at home right away.  There were people from my part of the corporeal world there, and we shared animated reminiscences of a local television legend from our childhood.  But it was more than that: friendly, whimsical, fun loving, excellent music and excellent company.  Then I spotted the poster in the corner for the Film Series and clicked to get the information note  and read the quote shown above at the beginning of the note.  Now I knew I had found kindred spirits.

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FANTASY FAIRE 2011 BENEFITS RELAY FOR LIFE

From Saturday April 2nd to Sunday April 10th 2011, thousands of Second Life residents and creators are coming together to support the American Cancer Society's vision of a world without cancer.  Friends Fighting Cancer (FFC) have transformed nine sims of Second Life into a fantasy wonderland:  the Fantasy Faire 2011 to benefit Relay for Life of Second Life (RFL of SL).

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Avatar Repertory Theater Serves Up a Virtual Feast of New Plays

In the bleak mid-winter Avatar Repertory Theater (ART) announced that they were accepting submissions of original ten minute plays to be part of their Virtual Short Play Buffet.  As the spring begins to bud, this project has also begun the next phase of its life.  That sprouting began last Friday at ART’s weekly ART Plays Around session at the Greek Archon Theater on Cookie, and will continue each week until May 13th.  Members of ART will be presenting readings 30 short plays, chosen from over 100 submissions, and the audience attending will be invited to vote on what plays they think deserve a full production.  Their votes will be added to ART Company Member’s own ballots, and a handful of the highest scoring plays will be presented in full production by ART in July. From seed to blossom! A streaming video of last Friday’s session can be viewed at http://www.livestream.com/thevirtualshortplaybuffet.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Why I Don't Understand Griefers

Bragging at dethklan

I do not understand Griefers.  I do not understand people who choose to use their energy to disturb and destroy, rather than create and support.  Well, I suppose inside their own microcosm they support and create themselves, but that is really pretty much negated by taking that and using it against others.  Now before this descends into a strange discussion about war, I should probably share one key piece of information: this “Major SL Raid” in the site above?  That was members of this group griefing about sixteen people sitting around a campfire listening to native Hawaiian tales and chants.  Oh my!  The bravery THAT must have taken!

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Bookstacks Hosts 4th Annual Horror Fest

In late 2008, Bookstacks partnered with The Guild of UK Writers to better offer events to both the readers and writers of Second Life, and from that beginning Horror Fest was born.  Four years later, a small miracle in virtual terms, the event endures and Bookstacks has proudly announced Horror Fest 4: Better Undead than Unread scheduled for this Saturday, March 26 from 8 am - 10 pm SLT (Pacific Time)

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: StoryFest Declared Success – New Festival Announced

StoryFest Session Photo by Bear Silvershade

Over fifteen different presenters of stories presented over two dozen different stories in a number of presentational methods ranging from traditional telling to radio play to story ballet in this past weekend’s first ever celebration of World Storytelling Day on the Second Life Grid: StoryFest 2011

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: World Storytelling Day Celebrated in Second Life

In the corporeal world, Sunday, March 20^th is World Storytelling Day.  This celebration will be celebrated in the virtual world with StoryFest 2011 on Saturday, March 19th and Sunday, March 20^th in Bran.  Storytellers whose keyboards are in Australia, Holland, Wales, Great Britain, Norway, The Continental U.S., Canada, and the Hawaiian Islands will present more than two dozen stories in less than 48 hours in five different venues on the Branwen Arts parcel “Here Be Pictsies” in the region of Bran.

For an expanded schedule and information on the amazing range of stories to be presented, visit http://storyfestsl2011.blogspot.com

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Review - Dramatiques Troupe Tours “Narnia” Production

Preparation is everything.  Especially when performing in Second Life.  Because performing in SL can be just as nerve-wracking as performing in the corporeal world.  Timing is still everything, as is paying attention to your audience – an audience who may not even be in your same time zone!  It is easy to look at something like a virtual dance performance and say that it is just so much hopping on poseballs. Yes, technically it is.  But hopping on the correct poseball, at the correct moment, and hopefully wearing the correct thing.  In this the technology of the grid does not always aid your efforts.  In all respects, preparation, design, and execution, the current Narnia tour of Dramatiques Performance Troupe shows pride in, and attention to these details.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Ireland's Pirate Queen Comes to Second Life

Imagination Island's Seanchai Library is celebrating March by paying tribute to a remarkable Irish woman with Grace O’Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen presented Friday, March 11^th at 7pm at the Seanchai Library (Imagination Island); Sunday, March 13^th at Noon at the Mango Yacht Club (Fruit Islands) and as part of the Opening Ceremonies at StoryFest 2011 celebrating World Storytelling Day – that presentation will take place at 1pm SLT on Saturday, March 19^th at the Grand Story Circle in the Branwen Arts Center (Bran).

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Another One Bites the Dust

While preparing  another feature, this notice came across my virtual desk from Jilly Kidd of Written Word announcing the closure of the London School of Journalism (LSJ) operations in Second Life :

“We're sorry to say the LSJ is leaving Second Life in mid-March. Do pop over to enjoy this lovely island in the final weeks and to enjoy what the LSJ has been doing here.

“We're grateful for the space the LSJ has provided for writers and for writing events . . .  The LSJ teaches writing in a variety of forms as well as journalism and has a great free contest on the website every month, so stay in touch.”

While no specific information is available, it is not hard to connect this closure with the recent change in the pricing structure that eliminates tier discounts for Education and Non-Profit land owners on the Second Life grid.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: StoryFest 2011 Announced for March

StoryFest 2011 is a partnership between the Branwen Arts, Seanchai Library, and the STORIES UNLIMITED! hippo-group.  The goal of the two-day festival is to present stories in a variety of presentational methods:  Traditional Telling, Literature, Theatre, etc. StoryFest will kick off Saturday, March 19th and continue Sunday March 20th at “Here Be Pictsies!” in Bran. There will be three independent story venues in easy distance from the Landing Zone: The Goblin Cave, The Pictsie Fire Circle, and the Temple Ruins.  There will also be two venues intended for larger presentations: the Grand Fire Circle and the Arts Center Theatre.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Poetry Contest to Benefit London Cold Weather Shelters

There are just over two weeks left to get your poems in for the Lumen/Camden Poetry Competition judged by the UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Poets from both the virtual and corporeal worlds are invited to submit.  The winner will have 20 pages of their poetry published in a printed booklet and will receive 50 copies of the printing.

There's a small entry fee with all proceeds going to help the homeless in two London Cold Weather Shelters. International entries are invited by email or post. Take a look at the attached notecard for more info, visit the website, or pop over to Ward Wood Publishing on SL and click the sign.  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cookie/24/199/27

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: "OEDIPUS" Returns for Encore! Do Not Hesitate!

Avatar Repertory Theater presents an encore of their critically acclaimed production of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles for three performances:

• Saturday January 22, 2PM PST/SLT (10PM GMT)
• Sunday January 23, 2PM PST/SLT (10PM GMT)
• Thursday January 27, Noon PST/SLT (8PM GMT)

Tickets are available at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sagittata/131/96/39, for L$500 (about US $2.50).

promo trailer -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnW26MiYu3w

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Poets! Poets Everywhere!

"Pirate Neko Poet" Klannex Northmead hosts The Poets Plunder

What’s on Klannex Northmead’s mind?  If you stop in to the Bookworm Café in the Southern Tier, New York at 6AM SLT on a Saturday morning you will find out.  The gravely voiced Brit leaves no subject stone unturned: political, moral, ecological, philosophical.  Klannex takes them all on and tells you exactly what he thinks.  It’s a strong cuppa for that early in the morning.  But each time I teleport in, I realize this is not the top of the morning for Klannex.  He is eight hours ahead of me.  The events of the day, the week, and the year have had plenty of daylight time to sink into his brain: he has no need to hold back.  The coffee pungent atmosphere of the Bookworm is the perfect setting for his weekly Open Mic session, The Poet’s Plunder.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: “Sikh Life” Celebrates Traditions of Art, Literature, and Community Service

Singh Albatross and the Writer's Center at Sikh Life

I love talking to people about their passion!  Through out Second Life (SL) you can find people who have discovered the productive and creative means to explore and express themselves – to virtually “find their bliss.”  If we are lucky, they make the fruits of that exuberance available to others.   Singh Albatros is not a stranger to the metaverse. He wandered onto the grid many months ago and, like many of us, didn’t immediately find a place that engaged him.  Returning to do research for a short story, he became connected with the writing community and was inspired by the possibilities of SL as a tool.  “Sikh Life” (pronounced “seek life”) was born out of Singh’s passion, inspiration, and commitment to his faith with its basic tenants of tolerance, service, and the inspirations of poetry and music.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Discovering an Ancient Celebration with a Virtual Twist.

The Yule Festival in OZLAND began December 10th and will continue through January 2nd , 2011. It boasts a vast array of events, an incredible festival site in the ruins of an Ancient Roman Fort, and a heart and celebratory spirit in the Celtic tradition. The Yule Festival is the first of eight such annual events produced by The Wild Fox Rovers that coincide with the Celtic Year. Poetry, Storytelling, Music and a Snow-person building contest all are part of this diverse celebration. This event caught my attention because of my interest in the bardic and oral storytelling traditions of the Celtic people. With the Festival being almost a month long, there is still plenty of time to catch the great events and enjoy the spirit of Yule in Second Life.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: Get Wrapped Up In Stories at the 3D AIDS Quilt

Jenaia Morane believes in the power of stories. She believes in the power of stories to transform. Classic literature, new works, fiction of all sorts can do that, but that is not Morane’s passion. Her objective is the story of YOU – the story within you and how such stories can be used most importantly to heal. Morane herself would add that her projects are not about her. Morane’s gift, and her mission, is setting at liberty the stories of others and allowing them to soar in the open breeze where they can do the most good. Morane, along with partner Marty Snowpaw, are the creators of Story Quest – The Virtual World Story Project, and of Storybook Island. They have added a new chapter to the story of their work on the Second life Grid: The 3D Aids Quilt.

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SL ARTS & LITERATURE: A Holiday Guide to Literature and Stories of All Kinds

Photo of Seanchai Library's "A Christmas Carol" taken by Bear Silvershade

Tis the season! Time for creative forces of the Virtual World to don their festive apparel, and let fly with holiday cheer. Some events have already taken place. Some events, like the Avatar Repertory Theatre’s holiday offering, have already begun. A bit of holiday luck for you, many of these events have multiple showings! In between the virtual holiday shopping, and the treasure hunts for festive freebies, add as many of these events as you can stuff in a stocking to your “Must Do” list through New Year’s Day:

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