The Show Will Go On: A Virtual Fall Play

10/23/2020

How to be or not to be was what prompted theater teacher Meg O'Connor to get creative with her upper school students this semester. “Since we were faced with the challenge of working remotely and for no more than two hours per week, I thought it would be the right season to introduce mask work,” said O’Connor.

She and technical director Sean Breault have training in that area. “Although it’s out-of-the-box for casual theater fans, working with masks really stretches skills in physicality and imagination. Since this type of work does not require students to memorize lines, it seemed like a unique and challenging project to take on without overloading students who are already handling so much,” added O’Connor.

The result is a series of short, silent scenes that they will digitally record under the title “Emotional Baggage...and Other Love Stories.” Keeping the 20 students connected to the material and each other is difficult at times as is accommodating two of their fellow thespians in China. Most simply revelled in the theatrical interaction. “While short online theater rehearsals were not conventional or ideal, it offered a space for us to gather, have fun, and share some joy despite the uncertainty of everything happening," said Sophia Van Beek ’22. "I didn't know that scenes could happen over the internet, but then we had this amazing moment yesterday when two of us were in person and the third person was on a computer screen and we actually made a piece of theater that was quite honestly very fulfilling!" said Ellanna Swope ’22.

The completed video is expected to be released in late November. “They’re all brave and there’s just no ego in the room, and those are key ingredients for everyone to really grow their skills but also have a great time,” said O’Connor.