How can we engage in Theatre while social distancing?

For my project, I wanted to figure out a way to use today’s technology and resources to remain connected to the world of Theatre during this global pandemic. I felt as though it was a time of isolation or loneliness for us all and that Theatre has been a way to tackle loneliness, amongst other things. Whether it means seeing yourself in a play and feeling less alone, or finding your community in a school, or just feeling connected to the people you work with. I’ve been planning to start a Theatre y-block that would allow students to engage in the absence of the Spring Festival. Additionally, I’ve been taking online art courses and reading about set/costume design. Then I’ve been spending time designing productions through art, and hopefully, this aspect will be one I can bring to the club as well.

I spent last week reading as many plays/one-acts as I could and doing research online for potential students in the club, finding different online competitions and such. I have also been getting comfortable with the world of drawing after having been absent from it for so long. I have also reached out to potentially interested students. Finally, I have started some outlines of the productions I would like to design with my limited resources. I find this is the most enjoyable aspect of the project so far. Connecting to the more individual aspects of Theatre is definitely of the most viable options when rehearsing in a group is not an option.

What I already knew before starting the project was a standard knowledge of Theatre texts and procedures. What my week of research has taught me is how much I knew about Theatre that I didn’t realize, and how little I knew about how to adapt it to a screen. I also knew something about costume and set design, but never from first-hand experience. So what I don’t know entirely is how Theatre looks over zoom, and I don’t know how to go about designing a costume with the technical elements of art. The project is centered around teaching myself and providing others, with new ways to engage while we social-distance. That can include learning new skills or diving into the elements of Theatre that we usually don’t. The mission of this product is really to create a community during a time when a community is what a lot of us are missing right now.