Tender Claws Brings Live, Interactive Theater to Virtual Reality with THE UNDER PRESENTS: TEMPEST

Tender Claws, the acclaimed creative studio behind Virtual Virtual Reality and The Under Presents, will be bringing ticketed, live VR performances based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest to Oculus Quest and Rift starting on July 9. The Under Presents: Tempest will be an interactive reimagining of the play, with performances running approximately 40 minutes, and multiple ticketed showtimes available daily through the end of September for $14.99 (US) per show.

In this groundbreaking VR adaptation, an actor sheltering in place in the Hollywood hills describes how they were due to play Prospero in a stage production of The Tempest until COVID-19 hit, and takes the audience through their dreams of what might have been. As the experience progresses, the lines between real and virtual and truth and fiction blur as audience members are "cast" as Prospero's spirits to realize an interactive, virtual version of the story.

Audience members will be networked into intimate groups of 6-8 per actor, with multiple performances running simultaneously. With personal variations among each actor, and new groups of participants at each showtime, no two performances of The Under Presents: Tempest will be the same.

"We've learned so much from running The Under Presents over the past seven months with live actors and had been exploring ways to expand that unique world and create other avenues to highlight our performers, and the pandemic ended up making a lot of loose ideas coalesce," explained Samantha Gorman, co-founder of Tender Claws. "With a lot of uncertainty for actors as theaters closed, and with everyone stuck at home seeking safe ways of meaningful human connection, The Under Presents inadvertently became a lifeline in many ways. With The Under Presents: Tempest we're extremely excited not only to create something new for our actors and fans, but also to continue to push the envelope for what virtual performances can be, and how we can experience liveness and presence in a virtual space."

The Under Presents: Tempest serves as a new venue within the beloved universe of The Under Presents, the innovative VR game launched in November 2019 which incorporates live actors in-game. Born out of specific knowledge and capabilities that Tender Claws established with The Under Presents - including proven backend capabilities for live interactive performances and networking, and unique insights into presence amid a remote multiplayer experience - Tempest is also a novel response to widespread theater shutdowns due to COVID-19, providing additional avenues for paid acting work.

Performances

Ticketed showtimes will be held throughout a 4-hour window (4:00pm - 8:00pm Pacific on weekdays, 11:00am - 3:00pm Pacific on weekends) every day from July 9 through the end of September. Tickets are available as an in-app purchase within The Under Presents. Participants can purchase tickets in advance at the Tempest box office within The Under; a handful of day-of tickets will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Under Presents: Tempest is exclusive to Oculus Quest and Rift.

Pricing

Starting July 9, new pricing will go into effect for The Under Presents. Tickets for The Under Presents: Tempest will only be available as an in-app purchase.

Tempest will be available for $14.99 (US) per ticket as an in-app purchase and includes ongoing access to The Under multiplayer space.

The Timeboat single player experience will be available as an in-app purchase for $11.99 (US) and also grants ongoing access to The Under multiplayer space.

The intro to The Under Presents (about 45 min of gameplay) will be free of charge as a demo of the overall experience.

To explore The Under Presents on the Oculus store, please visit: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/1917371471713228/

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