Theatre Must Get More Creative
I'm filled to the brim with happiness that theatre is finding a way to exist in a pandemic world. Everywhere I look there's a Zoom performance, a screening of a previous production, a cast reunion, or people mimicking the National Theatre's posters (personal favorite). While listening to NPR I also happened upon this gem: "Theatre In A Pandemic: Comedy Set On A Plane Is Tailor-Made For An Online Experience." First, it sounds amazing and I love that things like this are happening. But at the same time, the first line of the piece put me off.
“Actors and directors are finding ways to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic by producing theater online.”
Actors and directors are finding ways to adapt. When it comes to Zoom performances, though, designers and production staff are being left behind.
I'm not interesting in arguing about the definition of theatre and what it can exist without. I don't want to hear about how stripped-down performances only need actors, directors, and what have you. What we need to talk about is that actors and directors aren't the only ones out of a job here. But as long as our Zoom performances (or stripped-down performances) only focus on actors and directors, they'll be the only ones getting their jobs back.
I enjoy theatre because of how it requires us to adapt. As a stage manager, I have to be able to push my anxiety down and troubleshoot on the fly. As a designer, I have to figure out how to make a projector cover (most of) the floor by using a $25 wide-angle lens adapter. As an industry, we have to adapt to support all of our employees, not just some of them. Adapting is what we do. We just have to get more creative in our efforts. Zoom does not call for the removal of all technical elements.
Guess who are experienced in creating digital content? Media and projection designers. You can play it during your Zoom performance or include it in your social media posts.
You know who is experienced making sure shows sound their best? Talk with A1s and A2s about how to ensure your Zoom audio is the very best it can be.
Who deals with making sure actors' faces are visible? Use lighting designers to make sure everyone can be seen (and explain why you should place your computer somewhere else).
From composition to content creation, there are places for designers and technicians to be utilized and inject some of their artistic flair into new theatre mediums. What we have to do is find those opportunities and not let them go to waste. Perhaps it isn't hiring every designer you would normally, but it is hiring more than your initial instincts tell you to. It is questioning why you are not hiring someone. It is finding areas where your expertise lacks and others can fill in the gaps. It is using their skills - and they are skills - to produce the best content we can given the circumstances. Our cost-cutting decisions can not come only at the expense of designers and technicians. We must find ways, even small ones, to support everyone.
