The Shakespeare-VR Project

Virtual Reality in Humanities Education

Collaborators

Dr. Stephen Wittek
Jaehee Cho
  • Creative Director for the Blackfriars Tour and Sweet Sorrow
  • Jaehee Cho is the Founder and Creative Director of Orta Interactive. His portfolio of work in virtual reality includes a wide variety of entertainment and education-based projects. Notable examples include “Injustice,” an Official Selection in the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival that simulates personal experiences of racial profiling, and “Journey Through the Camps,” an Official Selection for the 2019 New York Indie Film Festival that takes users through the spaces of the Holocaust. See here for further details.
RALPH VITUCCIO
  • Creative consultant for the Blackfriars Tour and Sweet Sorrow
  • Ralph Vituccio is a filmmaker and an Associate Teaching Professor of Media in the Department of English and Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University. He specializes in documentaries, training films, and interactive virtual reality productions. His long list of directing credits includes the award-winning documentaries, “In Service: Iraq to Pittsburgh,” which explores the Iraq War as seen through the eyes of local soldiers, and “Ship Breakers,” which the explores the devastating impact ship recycling has had on the health of the workers in Gujarat, India. See here for further details.
ELIZABETH DIETERICH
  • Dramaturgy, lesson plan development, and demonstration managment for Sweet Sorrow and Blackfriars Tour
  • Elizabeth Dieterich is a PhD Candidate in the Literary and Cultural Studies program at Carnegie Mellon University. Her work focuses on dramatic literature, performance, and the culture of playgoing in early modern England. She has presented papers on affect in the theatre, bodies of size on the early modern stage, and silent film adaptations of Shakespeare. Before coming to CMU, she taught composition and literature at Jackson College, City Colleges of Chicago, American Islamic College, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has also worked as a performer, dramaturg, and education manager with professional theatre companies in Michigan and Chicago, IL.
ERIKA JC LAING
  • Production management and narration for Sweet Sorrow
  • Erika JC Laing is a musician, neuroscientist, and writer drawn to the fringe and dwelling at the intersection of creativity and communication. As frontwoman and lead vocalist for Working Breed, she plays trombone, trumpet, musical saw, and whatever else she gets her hands on to produce original, eclectic art rock. See here for further details.
Thomas Serban von Davier
  • Technical consultation, publicity, and lesson plan development for Blackfriars Tour
  • Thomas Serban von Davier is an AI researcher experienced in leading diverse teams of designers, researchers, and engineers to revolutionize the status quo. He studied Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, completing a Bachelor’s and Master’s in 2019. He then worked as a data engineer, empowering clients with insights into their data and how it can be operationalized for improved performance and customer satisfaction. He is currently a Computer Science DPhil at the University of Oxford, specializing in Human-Centered AI with a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Art.
ANLAN YANG
  • 3D character design virtual build of the Blackfriars Theater for Sweet Sorrow
  • Anlan Yang is a 3D Environment Developer and Game Design Artist. She completed an MA in Game Art at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center in 2023, and currently works as a designer at Simcoach Games. You can view her portfolio here.
BOKANG WANG
zoe speas
  • Actor for Blackfriars Tour
  • Zoe Speas worked as an actor and manager at the American Shakespeare Center for ten years. The vast range of Shakespearean roles she has played includes Viola/Sebastian in Twelfth Night; Roderigo in Othello; Doll Tearsheet and Westmoreland in Henry IV, Part 2; Don John in Much Ado About Nothing; Portia and Messala in Julius Caesar; Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra; Irma, Le Beau and Phebe in As You Like It; Juliet in Romeo and Juliet; and Sylvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. She holds a BA English and a BA Theater from The College of William and Mary, where she is currently pursuing a degree in law.
Cassiel Eatock-winnik
  • Actor for Sweet Sorrow
  • Cassiel Eatock-Winnik is a New York-born, Johannesburg-raised actor and dancer with a background in ballet, modeling, and interdisciplinary performance. She trained at the American Ballet Theatre and later studied acting at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. Her screen credits include Kite (2014), The Dark Tower (2017), and the M-Net drama Summertide.
jonathan champion
  • Actor for Sweet Sorrow
  • Jonathan Champion is a Pittsburgh-based actor and graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. He has appeared in the Showtime series American Rust and has stage credits including understudy roles in the Mint Theater Company’s 2023 production of Partnership at Theatre Row in New York.
Samuel Lemley
  • Director of Shakespeare-VR exhibits at the Hunt Library and Frick Museum
  • Sam Lemley administers research, acquisitions, exhibitions, and instruction in Special Collections, CMU’s repository for rare books, manuscripts, and early scientific instruments and calculating machines. He holds a PhD in English Literature and an MLIS with a certificate of concentration in rare book and special collections librarianship. See here for further details.
Heidi Wiren Kébé
  • Designer for Shakespeare-VR exhibits at the Hunt Library and Frick Museum
  • Heidi Wiren Kébé is a transdisciplinary performance artist and Creative Director for Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. Since joining CMU in 2017, she has co-founded the Libraries Exhibitions Program, led special projects for the Office of the President, and collaborated on major initiatives, such as the Frick Pittsburgh’s 2023 First Folio exhibition. She also teaches in CMU’s School of Art, IDeATe, and English Department. Heidi holds an MA and MFA from the University of Iowa and has received numerous honors, including awards from the American Library Association and the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. See here for further details.
sarah enloe
  • Creative consultation and production assistance for Blackfriars Tour
  • Sarah Enloe is an innovative educator with expertise in instructional design, event planning, and program management. She holds an M.F.A. and M.Litt. from Mary Baldwin College and a B.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. As Director of Education at the American Shakespeare Center from 2009 to 2020, she led programming in College Prep, Research and Scholarship, Life-long Learning, and Educator Resources. Sarah’s work emphasizes making Shakespeare accessible through performance-based learning. She currently works as a Professor at Mary Baldwin University, and as a drama instructor for Harrisonburg City Schools.
Ethan McSweeny
  • Creative consultation, direction, and production assistance for Blackfriars Tour
  • Ethan McSweeny is a stage director known for his innovative interpretations of classic and contemporary works. From 2018 to 2021, he served as Artistic Director of the American Shakespeare Center, where he directed multiple productions. A graduate of Columbia University, McSweeny began his career assisting at the Juilliard School and went on to direct on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at major regional theaters including the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. His Wikipedia page is here.
Laura donaldson
  • Voiceover narration for Blackfriars Tour
  • Laura Donaldson is the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs in the English Department at Carnegie Mellon University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre Arts and a Master of Arts in English Literature, both from Duquesne University. A former actor, she has performed on stage in Pittsburgh and London, as well as in voice-over and on-camera roles.
Bella nissel
  • Creative development for future projects and website design
  • Bella Nissel is a graduate of the Master’s Program in Literary and Cultural Studies at CMU. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied Digital Narrative and Interactive Design with a focus on game design. Her academic interests bridge storytelling, technology, and performance, and she has experience with a variety of coding languages and creative platforms. In addition to her studies, she worked as a professional dancer and co-published a multilingual children’s book on global dance styles. Her work explores how digital media can bring literature and cultural narratives to life in new ways.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
  • Creative Collaborator for Blackfriars Tour and Sweet Sorrow
  • William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, and is widely regarded as one of the finest and most influential writers in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, he authored 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and numerous poems. His work spans genres including tragedy, comedy, and history, and continues to be performed around the world. Shakespeare was a shareholder in the Globe Theatre and a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men). His keen insight into human nature, inventive use of language, and enduring themes have made his works foundational texts in literature, theater, and education for over four centuries.