Of shipwrecked twins separated in a foreign land, love triangles mixed with identity confusion, and girl masquerading as guy falling in love with her noble… The SL Shakespeare Company takes a brief hiatus from Hamlet to pursue a full length performance of Twelfth Night-broken down into “bite-size” chunks in a series of full-costume staged readings. The production will be performed by a moving cast, and audience members from the last week who wish to enlist would have the possible chance to make the cast.

According to director Enniv Zarf, “This production is an experimental way of performing Shakespeare. But hey we are in Second Life. If we can’t try it here, where else could we possibly try this.” Ina Centaur, Artistic Director, tells of the visual differences in this production, “The SL Shakespeare Company is known for our unlimited extravagance in visual adornments and animations. Because it is a staged reading, the overall look of this particular production will be distinctly different. The outfits will be grayscale to emphasize that this is a staged reading, and because we have a possible shifting cast with the same person playing multiple characters on the staged reading stage, we may use scripted changing sculpted masks.”

The performances are from June 20 to July 20, an Act a week, every Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 11 Am, and Sundays as 3 PM.

The SL Shakespeare Company is the premier professional Shakespeare performance troupe in the virtual world of Second Life. The Company performs in a meticulously accurate replica of the Globe Theatre ( http://visit.SLshakespeare.com ). Since 2007, it has continued to provide immersive live Shakespearean theatre accessible to anyone anywhere in the world with a high speed Internet connection.

For more details on this and other SL Shakespeare Company productions, please visit http://playbills.SLshakespeare.com

Posted by LLZane

People download the program Second Life (SL), create an avatar and after learning all the basic movements and technical stuff, quite often arrive at the SL mainland and ask ‘What do I do now?’ I have heard this said many times from avatars a day or two old who are wandering aimlessly around. Some never understand things and quit after a few days. Most people, before they join the virtual world, think it is a game with rules and targets, so it’s no surprise that they are a little lost once they are ‘in world’. I suppose that’s why some of the ‘gamers’ who join turn their hand to griefing, as they expect a win or lose situation and have no social skills.

Many, however, soon realise that the beauty of SL is the social networking, allowing you to meet and talk to people from all over the world, and the possibilities to create an actual ‘new life’ career are endless. I have been fascinated by the way some people have actually combined SL with RL to make a business or show their skills at creativity in whatever form they specialise in.

One person who intrigues me, is avatar Cher Demonge. Cher is a very talented graphics artist in real life and shows all the talents of being an outstanding entrepreneur in SL. Therefore, I have been watching Cher’s SL career develop with interest.

Cher is an absolute powerhouse of ideas, his artwork is unique and outstanding and SL has given him a chance to display his work in a way that real life has never done. He even has his own gallery to display his work. Cher first bought a small parcel of land to build a meeting place for all his friends, he jokingly called it ‘Murray Rehab’, using it as a place we could all use to get away from the griefers at Murray.

However, within weeks Cher had sold up and bought a large parcel of land at the ‘Ministry of Media (35, 162, 21) Neon Nights Complex’. He soon installed a nightclub, ‘Neon Nights’, inviting people to dance there to earn Lindens, and within days he had expanded the whole of the area into a shopping precinct as well.

Because of his artistic skills, Cher designs his own products and builds them himself, anything from designer handbags (so lovely I bought one!) to household items and clothes. One of his main successes has been a range of designer kitchens, using vivid, strong colours, they would make an outstanding feature in any SL home.

I asked Cher how he started off, he said that he bought a piece of land to build on ‘just to see what he could do’. He had opened a few businesses in real life, but they were secondary to being able to let his creativity run free, creating his own individual world, which you don’t get to do in real life!

He admits that, like a lot of people in Second Life, he has got addicted to the building side of things. He said that he builds something and then thinks, ‘I could build a gallery to show my art’, then thinks about building something else as well. Cher says, because of this, he thinks his place will always be evolving. He is building rental properties at the moment, smart houses to rent out, and he says he would like to create his own ‘Neon Nights Community’.

In real life Cher has created lots of pieces of artwork and has a graphics degree. However, his real life work doesn’t really allow him to pursue his creative side, so Second Life gave him that opportunity, he has had lots of positive feedback from the other virtual residents ‘in world’ as well.

For those of you who are wondering why I have a picture of Cher as a beautiful girl avatar, Cher says that he appears most of the time in Second Life as a girl, although he is a real life guy. He says that he always used female characters in computer games and says he finds women very interesting and it’s a ‘different view’ on the way people treat you. He told me that as he knows what it’s like to be a boy in real life, being a girl SL gave him the opportunity to try something far removed from his real world. Well all I can say is that Cher’s av puts mine to shame, as he has created a really glamorous looking girl, wearing all his own designs as well.

Just like real life, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and to set all this up, Cher has invested a little real life money into his Second Life adventure. But there is the crunch, if you are willing to invest a little, work hard and market your product successfully, the world may be your oyster in SL. The day you created your avatar, like a new baby, you came into the virtual world with nothing, accept the challenge and see how high you can climb!!!

Teleport to Cher’s place at Ministry of Media (35, 162, 21) Neon Nights Complex and be inspired!

Posted by JaneyBracken

To me, one of the best things about Second Life is the opportunity it gives for meeting people from all over the world and learning about different cultures. A great place to do this is on Info Island International, which is run by the Alliance Library System and contains areas dedicated to different cultures. I recently visited the China Cafe and spoke with its manager Elaine Tulip, a librarian with the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries, and ling Markstein, who gives classes on different aspects of Chinese culture, and lives near Beijing.
While Elaine Tulip’s main work in SL is for the Chicago Public Libraries, she also has an interest in Chinese culture and that is how her involvement with the China Cafe began. She answered a request for collaboration that was posted on the SLED listserv by a teacher in Shanghai who taught conversational English. Elaine was able to arrange for space to be made available, courtesy of the Alliance Library System, and worked with the builder, Gospel Voom, as well as in consultation with the Chinese teacher to create the building. The China Cafe opened on Oct. 14, 2007. The original teacher was unable to continue working at the China Cafe and that position was recently filled by ling Markstein.
The China Cafe has four floors. The first one is the central greeting area, where I met with Elaine and ling, and where the picture of us sitting having tea was taken. On the second floor is the classroom space; pillows can be rezzed in a circular or grid pattern there, depending on the kind of class taking place. The Crane Hall Library is on the third floor. It contains books of poetry and literature (I found works by Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson), books on Chinese culture and a filing cabinet with notes from the lectures that have been given at the China Cafe. An exhibition space is on the fourth floor and a tai chi and meditation area on the roof. A great deal of attention has been paid to detail. For instance, three different kinds of teas are offered in the greeting space, black, green and jasmine. The type of teapot used depends on the kind of tea brewed, so you will find three different kinds of teapots, all custom made. Go check it out. (In the picture we are drinking green tea)
While the original mission was to provide a place for Chinese speakers to learn and practice English, the scope has broadened. Special events and classes are held. I attended one class given by ling Markstein on Chinese wedding customs. A diverse group of people were at the lecture, some of Chinese heritage, and others like me who are not, but all met together at the China Cafe to learn more about Chinese culture. Elaine said that at a recent lecture there was a discussion about how to address young women in China nowadays. Apparently there are a number of different ways and ling was able to help those of Chinese heritage but not in China to discover some alternatives. I mention this because it is a good example of the informal way people can learn from each other about the ordinary everyday things which can help all of us to communicate, something that is invaluable in the global community in which we all now live.
The China Cafe and adjacent Japanese Gardens are on Info Island International (23, 198, 31) At the moment ling Markstein’s classes on different aspects of Chinese culture are offered at 5 am and 5 pm sl time on Thursdays, but this is subject to change. Join the China Cafe Group to receive notices of lectures and activities. There is also a China Cafe blog, http://chinacafe.cuipblogs.org/

Posted by HibiscusH

This is a picture of the Taj Mahal that i built in SL. It took me over 4 months to build this and it has around 4500 prims including the Taj Mahal garden area and as you can see i also built the taj gatehouse. I built this with inspiration after looking at pictures of the real Taj Mahal and i hope that other people will enjoy this Taj Mahal as much as i enjoyed making it.

It is available for purchase although i don’t have a fixed price yet. It can not be copied or modified so that it will be unique.

Posted by james8170

On June 1, Ballet Pixelle (formerly Second Life Ballet) premiered their fifth ballet “Shuzenji”. Set in Edo era Japan, “Shuzenji” tells the story of two lovers, Sakura and Tokai, who are separated from each other when Tokai is murdered by four jealous courtesans, or Oirans at the shrine of Shuzenji. Because Tokai died violently, he became a Yurei, a spirit who is trapped at the place where his life was taken. The faithful Sakura continued to visit Tokai at the shrine and because of her devotion Tokai’s spirit was released and he was able to wander the world. Sakura, fearful of losing him again, commits suicide so that she can be with him forever, and they are joined together in the spirit world, along with the countless spirits of others, the Obake.

This is a very ambitious ballet, one that took almost five months to create. The story and choreography, both created by the director and founder of Ballet Pixelle Inarra Saarinen, help to explore “the geographic and cultural diversity of Second Life by dancing about the unique Edo era of Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate in the 1700’s” as well as “the universal feelings of love, commitment and loss.”, according to Saarinen. The music was written for the ballet by popular Japanese composer and performer Solary Clary (rl Sora Izumikawa, www. sorasora.com), who was present at the premiere. The Edo era is convincingly and beautifully brought to the stage by the use of the gorgeous and elaborate costumes, which contrast with the simplicity of the sets created by Mark Cassini.
According to Saarinen, Ballet Pixelle is “dancing into the digital future”, by exploring the intersection of the real and virtual world. Saarinen creates the animations used in the performances; there are no poseballs or looping, no artificial synchronizing devices, each dancer is actually dancing live during each performance. I was invited to watch a rehearsal for “Shuzenji” and while it is strikingly similar to a real rehearsal, the dancers must learn to deal with challenges specific to Second Life. Of course there are the things you would expect, such as lag, but also just imagine that the dancers must find the correct spot up in the air, so that altogether they present the particular vision of the choreographer. As well, the dancers and others involved with the ballet are scattered all over the world from Japan to Europe to the United States. This requires a lot of coordination and commitment from everyone, complicated by the different time zones.
The name of the company was recently changed to Ballet Pixelle, from Second Life Ballet, Saarinen said “to better represent that we are a unique company with a virtual base” with the word “Pixelle” used “to keep the digital element clear.”
“Shuzenji” will be performed on Wednesdays and Sundays at 5 pm throughout June at the Ballet Pixelle IBM theatre, IBM 10 (14, 179, 25) Join the Ballet Pixelle group to receive updates and information.

Tokai is murdered at the shrine of Shuzenji (act 1)
Sakura visits Tokai at the shrine (act 2)
Tokai and Sakura are re-united in the spirit world (act 3)
Cast and Crew of Shuzenji Mark Cassini (+MC+), Neena Botanical (+Obake+), Tatianna Kurri (+Obake+), Amelie Dibou (+Sakura+), Tik Merlin (+Tokai+), Lina Lageos (+Obake+), Pyper Dollinger (+Obake+), in front, Inarra Saarinen (founder and director)

Posted by HibiscusH

Naughty Auties, the haven for Autistic people in Second Life, is up and running again. There had been a temporary closure of the Naughty Auties headquarters at Crystal Isle for a few days, but owner Dave Sparrow sent out a message this week telling the group members that the site is now open.

Some changes have been made to the layout, but it is just as welcoming and comfortable to visit as it was before. They are resuming the meetings and events and all sufferers of Autism and their friends and relatives can go there to relax and chat.

As ever, and with the help of his friends, Dave has made the Island very beautiful and there is literature on hand giving information about the condition and places to contact.

Pop along and give the Island a visit, you don’t even have to have connections with Autism, you can just go and chill and say hello. Naughty Auties Haven, Crystal isle (165 225 21)
Posted by JaneyBracken

As SL’ang Life Magazine, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the special event, a presentation of Portuguese Second Life Community. Our aim is to present the most interesting activities of Portuguese Residents and join the celebrations of the Portuguese Communities Day (June 10th). SL’ang Life magazine strives to actively participate in promoting initiatives leading to the creation of a community in SL. Thus, we offer space on our island and on pages of our magazine to present local activities to new public. A transcript of all presentations will be available at SL’ang Life magazine’s website, and a report from the meetings will be printed in our magazine. Such events are a chance to start a cooperation and to learn about similar projects from all over the world. We would like to thank Ibrahim Bates, member of Portuguese Community, writer, our reader and most of all our friend, without whom this event would not be possible Please, join us as we welcome Portuguese Community to SL’ang Life. Kind regards, SL’ang Life Team ô€€ ô€€€ Portuguese Community presentation schedule: http://slanglife.com/center/events/?id=319 Day 1 (June 5th) ~ exhibitions openings ~ Day 2 (June 6th) ~ Welcome party ~ Day 3 (June 7th) ~ Portuguese university researchers in SL ~ Day 4 (June 8th) ~ Portuguese creators presentations ~ Day 5 (June 9th) ~ Portuguese sims presentation ~ Day 6 (June 10th) ~ Portuguese Community Day ~ During the whole event you are welcome to vist the info kiosk area in the southwest part of the island, displaying Portuguese Residentsts’ activities. —– SL’ANG LIFE - PRINTED MAGAZINE ABOUT SECOND LIFE. Available FOR FREE for all SL Residents. All you have to do is to make a subscription at http://slanglife.com/
Posted by Muza Waco

Monogram Virtua Entertainment is proud to sponsor their first annual Second Life Erotica Expo. Hundreds of Erotica collectors from both the cyber and real worlds are set to arrive in Second Life May 31st to see both the erotic, sensual, sexual and exotic in cyberworld art and novelties. The Erotica Expo opens at 11AM Pacific Time at the convention center on Monogram Tria (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Monogram%20Tria/146/127/23) where Monogram Virtua???s co-founders Harold Whaley (SL name Hdub Shepherd), Randall Rubin (SL name Dubble Rokocoko), and Marketing Director Andrea McCloud (SL name Anakalia Catteneo) will be in attendance. An small entrance fee will be charged to attend the event.
Visit Monogram Tria (205, 110, 22)
Posted by Anakalia Catteneo

free xpoloder lag
Visit Iladil (35, 223, 72)
Posted by Magic Samourapoom

More than 500 years ago, Portuguese begun one adventure that took then all over the planet discovering new worlds. Today, exploring is focused too on imagination and travelling not only in the real world but virtual worlds too. To celebrate Day of Cam??es, Portugal and the communities, June 1st, about 2.3O SL, opens in Second Life ?? an exhibition related to the Portuguese Discoveries. Photos, facts and music connected to the invitation that all travellers make that the beginning of new adventures and discoveries through SL?? islands and regions, some based on the reality, others on our imagination. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Portucalis%20II/27/196/21
Visit Portucalis II (10, 193, 21)
Posted by Tpglourenco Forcella