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'The Wii Plays' Takes Gameplay to the Live Stage

by Warren Riddle on February 6, 2011 at 09:01 AM

wii playsThe Ars Nova theater in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood hopes to translate a collection of eminent, famous fables to the live stage. The series of stories may surprise some avid playgoers, though, because the playwrights actually sought inspiration from the Nintendo Wii. 'The Wii Plays,' devised by the theater's Play Group, includes an assortment of legendary Nintendo titles, including 'Wii Tennis' and 'Marvel Super Hero Squad', as well as seminal characters like Mario and Sonic.

According to the New York Times, the short plays each run approximately 8 minutes, and attendees will be able play real Wii games prior to the show. Ars Nova's associate artistic director, Emily Shooltz, reportedly hopes the "fun and upbeat" atmosphere helps people "embrace the spirit of game night." The fact that the Play Group's 12 members took creative license with their narratives should definitely help contribute to that frivolity. In one particularly intriguing redux, 'Oedipus' meets 'Wii Sports Resort' when a son and stepfather duel for the affections of the family matriarch.

While video games rarely achieve success on the big screen, it's incredibly difficult to deny the appeal of live action gaming, particularly on the live stage. 'The Wii Plays' run through February 12th.

Tags: ars nova, ArsNova, gaming, lolz, nintendo, nintendo wii, NintendoWii, the wii plays, TheWiiPlays, top, video games, VideoGames, wii

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