Experiments in Digital Storytelling
The Books of Jacob
The Downstairs
La MaMa
66 E 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
December 6–8, 2024
Friday–Sunday, 1pm ET
In-Person / Watch
Free / Donate
In this quantum, Kabbalistic, VR spectacle, the story of Jacob Frank comes to life simultaneously in seven locations around the world in a synchronized performance happening in New York, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Greece. Actors performing on physical stages in each country and on a digital stage in virtual reality, capture a world on the brink of change as they animate the story of a young Jew in the 18th-century who experiences ecstatic visions travels across the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, meeting heretical condemnation one moment and messianic recognition the next.
The Books of Jacob is a live performance that audiences can experience in-person in each country or online in VRChat. Audiences at La MaMa will have the opportunity to put on a VR headset and experience the production digitally, as well as from their seat where the virtual environment will be projected and layered into the scenography.
The digital performance network activated as part of this project transforms how theater is experienced and expands the theater’s global reach. Through La MaMa, CultureHub, and Dream Adoption Society’s global outreach, teams of artists and theater groups in different parts of the world are connected in a VR environment. Real-time translation services and subtitles in the virtual environment facilitate this multilingual production.
How to experience The Books of Jacob:
1. In-Person at La MaMa
RSVP and come to La MaMa in the East Village to see the production. Audience members will have opportunities to put on a VR headset and experience virtual aspects of the show.
2. Livestream
Watch the 2D livestream from your computer, tablet, or smart phone during every show on our watch page.
3. In VRChat
You must have a VRChat account and VR headset. If you are not familiar with VRChat, refer to this guide to get started with VRChat. Send a friend request to "locussolus." At the time of the show, find this user to join the virtual space.
