Experience on view:
December 6 – 8, 2024

Location:
The Downstairs
La MaMa
66 E 4th Street
New York, NY

*A Quantum Leap in Theatre: Experiencing The Books of Jacob at La MaMa*

This past weekend, La MaMa's Downstairs Theatre in New York hosted The Books of Jacob, an ambitious quantum, Kabbalistic, and virtual reality (VR) theatre experience. Directed by Krzysztof Garbaczewski and presented in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute NY, this innovative production unfolded simultaneously across seven countries—New York, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Greece—bridging physical stages and digital spaces. Audiences could immerse themselves in-person, via livestream, or in VRChat, a virtual reality platform.

The Books of Jacob is an adaptation of Olga Tokarczuk’s epic novel of the same name, tracing the journey of Jacob Frank, an 18th-century mystic whose ecstatic visions and controversial teachings traversed the Habsburg and Ottoman empires. True to the novel’s complexity, the production brought Frank’s world to life through experimental staging that blurred the lines between reality and virtuality. Performers in each country interacted with a VR environment, their actions synchronized across borders. At La MaMa, the audience could choose to sit on stage or in the bleachers, with opportunities to don a VR headset for brief glimpses of the digital dimension.

The production’s hybrid nature was both mesmerizing and groundbreaking. For instance, VR headsets provided access to a virtual stage, while projections integrated the virtual world into the physical scenography. This layering of real and digital spaces exemplified the potential of immersive storytelling and global collaboration.

From the moment the audience gathered in the lobby for a pre-show briefing, it was clear this would not be a typical theatre experience. The choice to switch between observing live performances, VR sequences, and layered projections gave the event a playful, experimental quality. However, The Books of Jacob leaned heavily into philosophical and existential themes, delivering a narrative that felt more abstract than linear. While the concept of global, real-time storytelling was undeniably compelling, the esoteric subject matter occasionally made the experience feel like “an experiment too close to the sun.”

For audiences, this abstraction posed challenges. Though bold and deeply intellectual, the story’s complexity paired with the futuristic medium left room for refinement in terms of accessibility and storytelling cohesion. The medium might flourish in more classic hero’s-journey-type stories, such as a scavenger hunt around the world or a humorous adventure tale, where audiences could more easily engage with the virtual format. Focusing on a more grounded story and having a clear beginning, middle, and end, would make it easier for the audience to anchor themselves in the narrative.

Despite these challenges, The Books of Jacob showcased the thrilling possibilities of combining live performance with VR and live streaming. The use of real-time translation and subtitles in the virtual space underscored the potential for multilingual, global productions to transcend borders. With further development, this hybrid medium could redefine how we experience theatre, bringing diverse stories to audiences worldwide.

For those curious, the performance's livestream is now available to watch online, offering a chance to experience this experimental work from the comfort of home. Whether in-person, online, or in VRChat, The Books of Jacob offered a glimpse into the future of theatre — an ambitious vision of art without borders.

Credits:

USA
Presented by La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
in partnership with CultureHub and The Polish Cultural Institute NY
Performed by DREAM_ADOPTION_SOCIETY
in the framework of Digital_Performance_Network

DREAM ADOPTION SOCIETY
Concept, Director, VR Design: Krzysztof Garbaczewski
Performers: Rébecca Pierrot, Tomasz Rodowicz
Script: Rébecca Pierrot
Costume Designer: Monika Beilstein, Małgorzata Karpiuk, Sławomir Blaszewski
Live VR Music: Jan Duszyński
Avatar Creation: Marcin Kosakowski
Set Design: Krzysztof Garbaczewski, Robert Mleczko
Livestream Camera Design, Lighting Design: Robert Mleczko

CULTUREHUB
Creative Producing, Audio/Visual/Livestreaming Systems
DeAndra Anthony: Technical Director
Mattie Barber-Bockelman: Producing Director
Sangmin Chae: Emerging Media Director
Billy Clark: Artistic Director

POLAND
Center for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor CRICOTEKA
Presented by Divine Comedy Festival
Director: Kamil Białaszek
Performers: Natalia Szczypka, Paweł Smagała, Oliver Woodcock
VR Design: Maciej Gniady
Main Kabbalist: Andrzej Serafin

SERBIA
Presented by Faculty of Media and Communications (Belgrade)
Project Coordination & Technical Support: Jacques Laroche
Performers: Teodora Miodragović and Ana Marija Petrović
Sound: Matija Milošević and Djordje Petković
Photo: Djordje Petković
Camera: Aleksa Borković
Creative Producer: Ana Knežević
VR Venue Director: Predrag Terzić
Dean of FMK: Maja Stanković

UKRAINE
Presented by NASHi Experimental Theatre Club
Director: Romana Isabella Soutus
Performers: Yuliia Linnik, Artur Slisarenko
Art Direction: Lesia Radchenko
Associate Producer & Stage Manager: Pavlo Koval
Technical Director: Yaroslav Konko

GREECE
Presented by MOZ PRODUCTIONS
Director/Choreographer/Cinematographer/Editor: Chrysanthi Badeka
Performer: Kostadis Mizaras
Scientific Advisor for VR Applications / Technical Consultant: Anastasios Theodoropoulos
Scientific Advisor eXtended Reality/ Embodied Human-Computer Interaction: Katerina ElRaheb

KAZAKHSTAN
Presented by bULt
Performers: Acell Shaldibayeva, Arys Ässem

Photo by Lívia Sá, courtesy of CultureHub