Re: The Vagina Monologues - Second Life
Ina Centaur
if the medium were easily recordable once transferred over the wires
-- radio or TV, for example, are readily stored on cassette tapes.
What's interesting with software is that it's not always easy to
record it or even to retransmit it, especially with Second Life.
The servers that host Second Life are physically in the USA
(California and Texas), and Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life, are
subject to US law, even though there are no regional requirements for
user signup.
Just as how one wouldn't bar one's visiting cousin from Kiev from
watching a local play, it would not seem fair to rule out a Second
Life performance based on the limitations to US/Canada. And again, we
return to the issue of locality...
I think the difference between Second Life and a podcast broadcast of
a play (for example) on the Internet is that both audience and actors
are actually present in the world -- albeit in avatar form. Wires,
yes, but everyone has a different perception of the play, from where
they are sitting. And, the actors are capable of performing "live"
visually, spatially, aurally -- albeit by moving their avatar bodies
and transmitting their voice. The audience is also capable of reacting
"live" visually, spatially, aurally -- again, albeit in avatar form.
The world of the play is ruled by the playscript, but the production
that makes it live is spontaneous and interactive and totally temporal
-- basically, you have the essence of live theatre in every single
second life production.
It's the issue of the avatar and sentience, which leads back to the
case of my friend Washu (but I'll halt there before I wax into obscure
and exotic philosophy again!) The play -- the script delivered by the
actors, the audience's reaction and interaction -- actually occurs on
the Second Life servers in either California or Texas. While I can see
why you would object to radio or TV or other Internet mediums, I
guess... I just don't see the same "third person" limitations in
Second Life... And, it still seems to me that classifying a Second
Life production as something similar to other wire-based mediums would
be a misunderstanding.
Ina
On Jan 24, 2008 8:38 AM, Craig Pospisil <posp...@dramatists.com> wrote:
> Dear Ms. Centaur,
>
> While I can appreciate your argument on a philosophical level, on a
> practical level I'm sure you can appreciate that what you propose is not
> a "live" performance, but one which would be transmitted over the wires
> and connections of the internet. It is, therefore, not something that I
> can authorize, as Dramatists Play Service only administers the live
> stage performance rights to the play, and only in the United States and
> Canada. What you propose would be a different subset of the author's
> copyright, and so, again, if you wish to pursue this, I recommend that
> you take the matter up with Ms. Ensler's agent George Lane at CAA, who I
> has been copied on these e-mails. Dramatists Play Service simply cannot
> grant you permission.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Craig Pospisil
> Dramatists Play Service
> 440 Park Avenue South
> New York, NY 10016
>
> Tel: 212-683-8960
> Fax: 212-213-1539
> www.dramatists.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ina Centaur [mailto:ina.c...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 5:37 AM
> To: Craig Pospisil
> Cc: Stephen Sultan; Lane, George; Shael Norris; jdw...@gmail.com; Lauren
> Weyland; i...@sLiterary.org; sliter...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: The Vagina Monologues - Second Life
>
> Dear Mr. Pospisil,
>
> I agree with your definition. However, I apologize that we did not
> make it clear that all of our viewers would be in the same location.
>
> Albeit the location would be in a localized theatre in Second Life,
> and our viewers would both view through and be represented by their
> avatars, there would be some for which Second Life is the only
> location they are consciously immersed in. I anticipate that you would
> express that: since the actual sentient entities are not the avatars,
> per se, they oughtn't to be considered to be in the same location. I
> can associate with that perspective. But, what would you say to the
> latter case -- the one where the avatar is the closest vessel of a
> being's sentience?
>
> Consider my friend Washu. Half a decade ago, a tragic accident left
> him physically disabled to the extent where he lost not only all motor
> control, but also vision and hearing. Fortunately, he has a guardian
> angel in the neuroscience department who created for him a device that
> connects Second Life directly to his brain. He cannot physically walk
> or see in reality, but his avatar and his "mental self" can.
>
> In Second Life, he builds skyscrapers, travels to exotic locations,
> shares his wit and charm with hundreds of others, knits and cooks. In
> Second Life, he can do anything.. In reality, he is under constant
> anesthesia, and probably cannot feel stimuli in his actual body.
>
> In which location does Washu exist in?
>
> Sincerely,
> Ina
>
> P.S. http://www.google.com/search?q=brain+second+life has a few links
> describing some publicly available implementations of things similar
> to Washu's brain-computer/Second Life interface. While I have never
> met Washu in person, I don't doubt the miracle of technology that
> allows him to continue living life.
>
> On Jan 23, 2008 12:16 PM, Craig Pospisil <posp...@dramatists.com>
> wrote:
> > Dear Ms. Centaur,
> >
> > In answer to your question, I consider the definition of a live stage
> > performance to be: a presentation by living actors performing in the
> > presence of a live audience, and not one that is in any way broadcast
> or
> > otherwise disseminated by transmission to viewers in other locations.
> >
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> >
> > Craig Pospisil
> > Dramatists Play Service
> > 440 Park Avenue South
> > New York, NY 10016
> >
> > Tel: 212-683-8960
> > Fax: 212-213-1539
> > www.dramatists.com
> >
> >
>