A VR premiere + award nominations

Back in 2016, VR Playhouse made a 360° short film called Girl, written by Megan Kelly and Lindsay Kerns and directed by Lauren Ludwig. And after a bit of gestation process, Girl was recently shown for the first time to an audience at an event put on by Google and the Tribeca Film Institute.

I've always thought that the story of “Girl” is the perfect one to really experiment with VR's particular kind of form and function. On the one hand, the world that our main character, six-year old Janie, lives in is all too real. Her father is clearly not a presence in her life and the struggles of her mother to get by are clear to someone as keenly observant as Janie. Every day, she is surrounded on all sides by the unfortunate realities of our world. And yet, Janie’s vibrant imagination finds a place in this world too. Sometimes, that imagination serves to underscore the realities of Janie’s life. Real-life struggles find fantastical expression in Janie’s mind. But sometimes, that imagination becomes her defense mechanism and her safe place.

The relationship between outer reality and Janie’s inner reality is explored from the first person perspective in “Girl”. We believe that it is this kind of relationship, explored in this way, that proves VR’s value as a narrative art form. And you can now see Girl on TFI's Youtube page. Watch it here! Enjoy!

Also, a couple of theater productions I worked on as dramaturg were nominated for Ovation Awards. Big congratulations to everyone involved with NATIVE SON at Antaeus Theatre and KAIDAN PROJECT: WALLS GROW THIN at Rogue Artists Ensemble. It was an honor and pleasure to work on both of these great shows!