I chose to look at the Virtual Vaudeville project listed in the “Evidence” issue of Vectors. This one stood out to me mainly because it felt like the most immersive project of the few I looked through when making my choice (and the topic was pretty interesting in and of itself).
Virtual Vaudeville acts as a time machine of sorts, allowing the viewer a look into the nineteenth century and its theater without leaving the comfort of their own home. It is an all-encompassing 3D recreation of historical theater, providing multiple points of view on the physical theater and the acts themselves. Users can watch a vaudeville performance, by comedian Frank Bush, as well as explore the audience reactions and the architectural space of the theater. Virtual Vaudeville considers itself an “interactive, multi-perspectival platform” to mediate between the perception of history and the social and political issues prevalent in the time period the project details.
I read the descriptions first before watching the virtual show, so when it came time to watch, I knew what I wanted to look for so I could evaluate whether the project was successful in its mission. Unfortunately, I had some pretty big issues getting the plug-ins to work on my computer. However, once I solved those problems by downloading the necessary plug-ins, I was able to watch the show with ease. The project is separated into two categories, the performance recreation and the theater fly through, which allowed users to explore and focus on whatever aspect they chose. I actually liked that the two were separated into separate visual platforms because I felt like they provided two very different experiences, one of theater and one of architecture. I’m sure the project designers did this to ensure that users could get the full experience of each. I also thought it was very easy to navigate the site because everything was explicit.
I believe the Virtual Vaudeville project was pretty successful in achieving what it set out to do. I felt very immersed in the show, like I was a spectator sitting in the audience, but I also was able to understand it within the context of the theater, the time and the fact that this is simply a recreation. It’s amazing that these new technologies can provide us with experiences that can mirror times long past. I got to experience an old-fashioned vaudeville show in an old-fashioned theater, which is something I never could have done without the technologies used here.