Playtests
Theatre in VR. Will it be the solution? To what problem exactly?
Dear VRChat experts,
Brecht professionals,
Dear theatre lovers,
Brecht Into The Metaverse - our new virtual world is slowly taking shape!
We want to use the next few weeks to test it together with you. The focus will be on the topics of accessibility and barrier-free experience:
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Please come and join us for our playtests of Brecht Into The Metaverse in VRChat on
Thursday, Nov 16, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Nov 23, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Nov 30, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Dec 7, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Dec 14, 6pm UTC+1
Please join the group in VRChat (see screenshot below) or email to assistenz@katharinahaverich.de, if you want to participate. We do not offer onboarding as such, but can assist a little in making everyone come together in the same instance.
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When you come, it would be great if you could come as one of these characters from Señora Carrar's Rifles (Bertolt Brecht, 1937)
Please find below the text for the scene. The text will also be in the world for us to carry around.
Brecht professionals,
Dear theatre lovers,
Brecht Into The Metaverse - our new virtual world is slowly taking shape!
We want to use the next few weeks to test it together with you. The focus will be on the topics of accessibility and barrier-free experience:
- How useful are the tools we are implementing in the world?
- Can we play some excerpts from Brecht's „Señora Carrara’s Rifles“ in VR together?
- Our common learnings will then inform the further worldbuilding process.
- The sessions will be filmed in VR. If you're a VR camera person and interested in helping us out, feel free to get in touch!Please let us know if you plan to come to any of the playtest events.
Please come and join us for our playtests of Brecht Into The Metaverse in VRChat on
Thursday, Nov 16, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Nov 23, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Nov 30, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Dec 7, 6pm UTC+1
Thursday, Dec 14, 6pm UTC+1
Please join the group in VRChat (see screenshot below) or email to assistenz@katharinahaverich.de, if you want to participate. We do not offer onboarding as such, but can assist a little in making everyone come together in the same instance.
When you come, it would be great if you could come as one of these characters from Señora Carrar's Rifles (Bertolt Brecht, 1937)
_Theresa Carrar, a fisherman 's wife
_ José, her younger son
_ The worker Pedro Jaquéras
_ Theresa Carrar's brother
_ The wounded man
Please find below the text for the scene. The text will also be in the world for us to carry around.
Señora Carrar’s Rifles (Bertolt Brecht, 1937)
Version by Katharina Haverich and Konstantin Bez. Translated into Leichte Sprache by Anne Leichtfuß. Translated into English with Google Translator.
One of the nights of April 1937 in a fisherman's house in Andalusia. [Andalusia is an area in the south of Spain.] The walls of the room are white. A large, black cross hangs on a wall . Theresa Carrar is a fisherman 's wife . She is 40 years old. She bakes bread. In the distance you can hear the thunder of cannons . Her 15-year-old son José is sitting at the open window. He carves a net peg .
[A net peg is a tool used by fishermen. A net stake can be used to repair or make fishing nets . It is a long, narrow wooden stick . At its end there is a flat, round disc. This holds the net in place so the fisherman can repair it or tie new knots.]
THE MOTHER
Do you still see Juan's boat?
THE BOY
Yes.
THE MOTHER
Is his lamp still burning?
THE BOY
Yes.
THE MOTHER
Has another boat joined?
THE BOY
No.
Break.
THE MOTHER
That surprises me. Why isn't anyone else outside?
THE BOY
You know that.
THE MOTHER patiently:
I'm asking you about it. That means: I don't know.
THE BOY
No one is outside except Juan. You now have something else to do than catch fish.
THE MOTHER
So.
Break.
THE BOY
Juan shouldn't be outside either.
THE MOTHER
Correct. But he has to.
THE BOY carving more violently :
Yes.
The mother puts the dough in the oven . She wipes her hands and takes a fishing net . She wants to mend it .
THE BOY
I'm hungry.
THE MOTHER You're hungry. And yet you think: Your brother shouldn't catch fish.
THE BOY I could catch fish. Juan was supposed to fight in the war.
THE MOTHER
I thought you wanted to fight in the war too?
Break.
THE BOY
Will the food ships come this time? THE MOTHER I used up the last of the flour. For this bread. Now I have no more.
The boy closes the window.
THE MOTHER
Why are you closing the window?
THE BOY
It is 9 o `clock.
THE MOTHER
And?
THE BOY
At 9 a.m. that pig is on the radio again. And the neighbors turn on their radio.
THE MOTHER begging:
Open the window again! Otherwise you won't be able to clearly see whether the boat is still there. We have the light on and the window pane is reflecting.
THE BOY
Why should I sit here and pay attention? He won't run away from you. You're just afraid that he'll go to war.
THE MOTHER
Do not be impertinent. It's sad enough that I have to take care of you.
THE BOY
What do you mean by 'you'?
THE MOTHER
You are no better than your brother. Rather worse.
The boy opened the window again. You can hear a radio announcement in the distance : "Attention attention! This is His Excellency, General Queipo de Llano speaking!” Then you hear the general's voice loud and sharp through the night. It comes from the neighbors' radio. The general gives his speech to the Spanish people. Like every evening.
THE BOY
They only turn on their radio because of us. This is already the third evening. Yesterday I saw: They open the window on purpose. So that we have to hear the speech.
THE MOTHER
These speeches are always the same. No matter who holds them.
THE BOY
Just say that you like them!
THE MOTHER
You know I don't like them. Why should I be for the generals? I am against war. I am against the shedding of blood. I am against people dying senselessly.
THE BOY
Who started it? We did not!
The mother is silent.
THE BOY
We didn't start, mother.
THE MOTHER
We are not rebels. We don't cause unrest. We don't defend ourselves. We don't fight. You would do that, your brother and you! You are careless! You got that from your father. And I love you so much. I wouldn't want to change you. But this isn't fun: can't you hear their guns? We are poor people. And poor people can't wage war.
Someone's Knocking. The worker Pedro Jaquéras enters. He is Theresa Carrar's brother. You can see: He has come a long way.
THE WORKER
Good evening.
THE BOY
Uncle Pedro!
THE MOTHER
Why did you come, Pedro? She shakes his hand .
THE BOY
Are you coming back from fighting , Uncle Pedro? How is it there?
THE WORKER
Oh, not so good. How are you here?
THE MOTHER holding back :
It works.
THE BOY
Did you leave there today ?
THE WORKER
Yes.
THE BOY
The journey takes a good 4 hours, right?
THE WORKER
More because the streets are so crowded. They are full of refugees. Everyone wants to get to safety.
THE BOY
But our soldiers are holding up bravely?
THE WORKER
I don't know what happened today. Last night we still occupied the city with our soldiers.
THE BOY
Why did you go away ?
THE WORKER
We need all sorts of things for the soldiers at the front. And I thought I'd check on you again.