Beginning Nov. 1, Henry Ford College’s Virtual Theatricality Lab will immerse you and your family in a 3-D environment, complete with a 20-foot-tall Trex with the live children’s stage play, Dinosaurus! Two sets of performances will be offered: one for the general public and one for elementary schools.
Recommended for grades one through five, Dinosaurus! is the story of two oil explorers who discover a lost colony of dinosaurs deep beneath the earth’s surface. One of the explorers attempts to exploit the dinosaurs, while the other wants to leave their underground hideout untouched by civilization.
HFC’s Virtual Theatricality Lab uses advanced cinema technology such as virtual reality, performance capture, and animation to enhance live stage plays. The VTL’s 2003 production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest was a regional winner in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2003. The VTL’s production of Caryl Churchill’s The Skriker was a finalist for the National Bellwether Award, an award that annually recognizes outstanding and innovative programs and practices at community colleges.
Dinosaurus! will be presented in an immersive environment. The audience will be limited to 80 persons per show. The audience will be seated onstage and will be surrounded by a physical set built and painted to match the virtual set projected in 3-D stereo on a 20’x 36′ 3-D projection screen. 3-D cinema glasses will be worn. The dinosaurs will appear to be 20 feet tall and 6 feet from the closest spectator.
To further the immersive environment, several “4-D” effects will be created. “4D” refers to a real, physical effect that complements an animated or virtual effect. When the trex sneezes, duck!
Dinosaurs! is directed by Dr. George Popovich. Popovich holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State and an M.F.A. in Directing from The University of Texas. Popovich is a graduate of South Coast Repertory Acting Conservatory, which won a Tony Award for best regional theater in the United States in 1988. He has been the full-time director of theater arts at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn since 1985. His virtual reality production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest was a regional winner at The Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival at Illinois State University in January 2004. He is listed in the 2007 and 2008 editions of Who’s Who in America for his pioneering work in digital theater through The Virtual Theatricality Lab.
He won the Michigan Education LAND award for best innovation team (January 2007), and the Community College Innovation League Award in March 2007. In October 2007, Popovich’s Virtual Theatricality Lab was visited by Dr. Guangyao Bai, vice president of The National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts Beijing, China. His Virtual Theatricality Lab was a national finalist for The Bellwether Award in November 2007. Popovich has presented several Motion Capture workshops for The Screen Actors Guild, and can be seen as an actor in the upcoming feature film, “Misled,” which was shot in Detroit.
“This is not a movie or a cartoon, it is Virtual Theatricality,” said Popovich. “You have live actors interacting with 3-D animations; the synergy created is amazing. You have to see this! It is a physical and emotional experience, much like the film “Gravity.”
This project was made possible by a grant from HFC’s TIF (Technology Investment Fund).
The show is presented in the Adray Auditorium on the HFC Main Campus, 5101 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn.
School Performances:
All school performances are closed to the public. All seats are $4; there are no other discounts, prices or complimentary tickets. Early reservations are advised; seating is limited to 80 persons per show.
• Monday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.
• Friday, Nov. 14 at 10 a.m.
• Monday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m.
• Friday, Nov. 21 at 10 a.m.
• Monday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 10 a.m.
Public Performances:
Children under 12, $5; all others, $8. There are no other discounts, prices or complimentary tickets. Early purchase is advised; seating is limited to 80 persons per show.
• Saturday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
Performance Information
Show times
Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Friday, November 7, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Friday, November 14, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Friday, November 21, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Dr. George Popovich 