An Opera Nonprofit Bets on VR, With a New Show About Joan of Arc
In the new show, the audience will follow a modern-day version of the patron saint in the form of five homeless women. The audience will be able to follow different women when the Joans cross paths throughout the interactive, site-specific opera, according to Hiatt.
Opera on Tap has partnered with homeless shelters to allow women to tell their stories, and is compensating them for their contributions to the show’s narrative.
Hiatt plans to incorporate augmented reality smartglasses, similar to Google Glass, which are reportedly rolling out in the next year or so. “The idea is that an audience member can put them on and experience the opera though augmented reality,” she said. “We’re working on technology development and figuring out the approach we’ll use.”
“It’s about taking opera out of the concert hall and into places where people could experience it intimately,” Hiatt added.
They’re also sending “OperaCades,” ornate theaters on wheels built in partnership with New Orleans Opera, around to different cities so that music lovers can safely enjoy a live performance.
See the full story here: https://thestoryexchange.org/opera-on-tap-leveraging-virtual-reality-survive-pandemic/
