My Desert Heart
performed live at Go Short International Short Film Festival, Nijmegen, Netherlands
April 9, 2026

My Desert Heart is a two-person play set within Red Dead Redemption Online and performed live in-person. It is the second in a series of hybrid digital/physical plays by artist Kara Güt. While preparing for a duel, two player-characters march toward each other from across the map, each unraveling the tale of their eventual meeting. By simply walking forward across the game's terrain, they encounter many dangers-outlaws, bears, cougars, snakes...and other players. As the characters die and respawn, die and respawn, their controls are taken up by new actors, their voices changing as the controller changes hands.

This iteration of the play starred Vladimir Nadein as Crane, Dmitry Frolov as Horace, and various audience members as puppeteers.

stills from live performance