A great question once asked by Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul, but I wonder if she had any idea how prophetic her words would be! In just a few short months the entire country found out what a little company called Zoom was and has gone Zoom crazy!
Why do I bring this up, I hear you cry; because a recent article in the theater section of the New York Times talked about exactly that, how the theater community is using Zoom to present performances to the public; Longwood Theatre Department included.
While our upcoming performance of “She Kills Monsters; Virtual Realms” by Qui Nguyen is not being shown live to our patrons, it will be performed live and taped for your viewing. It will be just as if we came to your home and performed a personal show in your living room just for you! Plus the benefit of you being able to wear your comfiest pair of pajamas!
It takes a lot of work, some might say even more, than a regular performance. You still have lighting, costumes, makeup, and scenery but this time it all has to be designed, built, and transported to the students place of residence. Then students have to do more than act; they become lighting and set crews, makeup and wardrobe artists, all while being directed and coached, not to mention act, miles apart.
As someone who has tread the boards, I can tell you the feeling one gets from a live audience when on stage is like nothing else. You feed off it. It fills you. It enhances your performance like nothing else can. So to do this while looking out, not at an audience but at a cold computer screen….that takes an extra special kind of talent. As you will be able to see in just a few weeks from now.