VRML Dream the Historic Performance

Dateline: 4/27/98

VRML Dream temple view
On Sunday April 26, at 1PM Eastern Time VRML Dream was  performed live in public for the first time. Well like most efforts on the bleeding edge it was a mixed bag of success and problems. The big problem was that the sound (for some still unexplicable reason) didn't get broadcast. The good part is that the motion of the characters and the "director's camera" worked wonderfully. A set of approximatly 7 actors in Canada controlled the various avatars and they walked, talked and moved all around the sets. The streamed motion was was something to behold!

Following in order are screenshots of the play as it unfolded. In addition during the performance about a dozen or so people gathered in an IRC chat room to discuss what was happening. Thanks to Charlie Lindhahl who deftly recorded the chat you can also read what happened. Finally thanks to Stephen Matsuba for providing the annotations.
The forest set Egeus in the palace The thrones of Theseus and Hyppolyta Helena and Demetrius Bottom and Quince Flute, Bottom and Quince Helena, Oberon, Titania and Oberon Hermia and Lysander Lysander asks Hermia to lie down with him The Mechanicals rehearsing Titania on her bed Puck Oberon The four Athenian lovers
All things considered one would have to call it a definite success. The technical challenges the VRML Dream crew faces are unbelivably ambitious. Sitting there watching this VRML Play, seeing the characters and camera move around make me believe that in the not too distant future we will be seeing VRML Web shows become a reality. I can't wait!
 

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