Playing with Tech: Local Artists Adapt
Pictured Above: Part of the magic of the Neo-Political Cowgirls’ “Primavera.”
Artists live in the world of the nearly impossible, so what’s happening in the world right now has led many of the East End’s most creative residents to seek new ways to communicate with the world.
At the forefront of this effort are the East Hampton-based Neo-Political Cowgirls, whose “Primavera!” remote 360 virtual reality immersive theater experience will be held on Saturday, May 9 at 5 p.m.
Appropriate for all ages, this mythical journey across a sweeping landscape (social distancing rules being applied) introduces you to characters that give you clues to a riddle.
“Primavera!” is an interactive excursion based on mythical gods and goddesses that playfully invites us to consider our connection to the seasonal changes of our world and all the magic and power it holds.
Virtual Reality headsets have left the realm of science fiction in recent years, with Google producing a cardboard headset that wraps around your smartphone. The goggles are not required to enjoy the experience. Tickets range from $5 to $50, and are available online at www.npcowgirls.org.
Guild Hall in East Hampton has opened up its archive of recorded performances, along with virtual tours of its 82nd annual members’ exhibition, a Stirring the Pot cooking show with Florence Fabricant, and art workshops for all ages. More details are at www.guildhall.org/athome/.
The Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center, which was planning its big reopening bash this spring after a devastating 2016 fire, is instead streaming some great first-run movies and newly restored classics in a new “Sag Harbor Cinema@Home” series.
Each title is available for a three-day rental for $12. Currently showing are “The Wild Goose Lake,” “Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands” and “The Times of Bill Cunningham.”
More titles will be announced in May at sagharborcinema.org.
The Hamptons International Film Festival’s “Now Showing” series has moved online, featuring an excellent new movie streaming into your living room. New titles are put up on their website each Monday at https://hamptonsfilmfest.org.
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill has also rolled out a trove of new and innovative programming, including a podcast, virtual tours of exhibitions, online workshops and art classes for adults and kids, and recordings of the museum’s sold-out PechaKucha Night talks and Friday Night lecture series. More details are online at parrishart.org.
The Suffolk County Cooperative Library System is working on finding new ways to engage patrons while libraries throughout the East End are closed, including providing expanded access to audiobook and video archives. The Riverhead Free Library is mailing books to its patrons that had been intended for use by book clubs that now aren’t going to meet. For more information, email askadultref@riverheadlibrary.org.
