Leo: Realizing the Gravity of the Situation (Plus Zootopia Watch)

source: y2d-shows.com/leo

   I'm kind of paranoid that nothing is real, today, because I received a robocall or at least I'm pretty goshdarn sure it was a robocall but it was actually seriously literally a robocall, with some kind of AI on the other end. I... I think? But there's no way to be sure-- I've accused callers of being robots before (alright, it was one time) but that turned out to be wrong... but of course you could program a robot also to deny that it's a robot... I didn't even try this time, just, hanging on the line, eating up my minutes, hoping they'd be the one to disconnect like a human would do, or responding to my "no" when asked if I was still there...

   Turing threshold... not quite passed, except maybe it was, I just don't know.

   Anyway... that's not the only way I was forced to rethink my concept of reality today. With that awesome segue, let me introduce you to LEO.

source: y2d-shows.com/leo

      Let me set the stage: on stage left, a room, bare save for a lightbulb descending from the ceiling; next to it, on stage right, a screen. The room is sideways: the lightbulb is not descending at all, but is sticking out horizontally. The room being filmed, however, with a sideways camera so as to correct the image, which film is projected onto the screen. The audience can choose which version of reality to view at any one time: the reality of the performance, wherein the wall is "down," or the reality of the achievement of the performance, wherein the wall is only playing "down."

   In the room is a man. Leo. Not that there's anyone else around to address him as such. No, the man is alone, save for the lightbulb and his suitcase.

   On the screen, the man is leaning against the wall. On the stage, the man is lying on the ground. He appears to be waiting for someone, or something. He appears to wait a long time.

   Until he realizes that not everything is how it initially seems...

   Really fun, mind-bending stuff, great for all ages (though actually pretty scary sometimes.) There's lighting effects and music and more than just the physical reality featured on the screen, but nearer to the end animation and multi-layered exposure effects, which you can catch a bit of in the above video.

   And absolutely no wires throughout the entire thing.

   There are three tours going on right now; this one features Berlin native acrobat Julian Schulz in the title role. After tomorrow's performance they're heading down to BYU Provo for a week, doing performances but also workshops, which makes me really disappointed when I realize that I'm pretty sure Utah Theater Association conference is at the U of U this year instead.

ZOOTOPIA WATCH
   Hey, four new items at the Zootopia store were added today! Also, hey, I'm apparently keeping track of the number of items at the Zootopia store!

   Judy hits Duke Weaselton with her Meter Maid cart! Nick drives a convertible with parking meter included (which the packaging seems inordinately excited by)! Judy Hopps chills with May Bellwether! We learn of the existence of a new character, Safety Squirrel!

    I noticed almost immediately after posting my original Disney Store post, but just from the playsets, the fact that the Nick and Finnick action (?) figures are packaged together, and, yeah, described as being buddies and scamming and suckering together, they're... flimflam fellas, together-- shoot, I literally just realized this, but they're both foxes.

   By "just" I mean immediately before you read that, of course. This blog is live. Anyway, um... Weird, eh? They might even be cousins! How...ever biology works, in the Zootopia world...

   And don't you find it suspicious that the little dude's name is Fin-nick? There's no way that that... yeah, alright, it's totally a coincidence.