Due to the pandemic, many activities and routines of school have been disrupted or even discontinued. The drama department is one area in which people are typically present around many others, but they are not letting COVID-19 stop them from putting on a show.
This year’s play will look a little different for those a part of theater and for those viewing their performances. The play this year will be recorded and posted to the school’s YouTube channel for anyone to watch free of charge.
“The inability to hold performances in front of an audience is a huge change since that's what theater is all about! But I think Karen has a good plan in place for working around it,” 2020 Alum and Head Costumer Kaci Wilson said.
Assistant professor of Communication Arts Karen Robu is working to ensure that the actors and theater crew remain safe when rehearsing and performing the play. This means that actors will be required to wear a mask if another actor is on stage at the same time. It also means that the performances won’t be the same as previous years.
“This is my first year teaching at Bethel. It is my understanding that in recent years there has been one play and one musical or opera each year. We hope to offer a play in the spring in addition to the virtual play this fall. Musicals are out until it is safe for people to sing together again,” Robu said.
Although theater is facing some challenges due to COVID-19, Wilson chooses to look at it positively.
“The pandemic is making us get creative, but that's never a bad thing in theater. Since we aren't tied to the stage, this has provided an opportunity to film at different places around campus, which is strange for stage actors but very exciting, as well!” Wilson said.
Stage manager Rachel Geyer, sophomore from Oxford, Iowa sees both positives and negatives in performing the virtual play this year.
“With the combination of a new director and the COVID epidemic, there are plenty of opportunities for new experiences in the theater department. We are happy to welcome a new freshman into the cast, Hayden Honomichl. I'm always excited to see new faces in the theater, especially new freshmen. We had some wonderful actors graduate last year, so new faces are welcome. The introduction of film, however, is something I'm less excited about. I realize that it might be hard to perform in front of a live audience right now, especially in the traditional way, but I'm going to miss the energy it provides. Live performing and filmed performing are two vastly different things, and for someone who is used to the former, it's a hard step to take,” Geyer said.
Geyer’s role as a stage manager will look a bit different this year considering the play will be filmed.
“I work with the director and the production team to make the drama a reality. Most of the work I do in a traditional performance is going to be obsolete. I won't have, or need, a crew for prop, costume or set changes during the performance, and I won't be calling any of the light or sound cues. There is little to no blocking in the play we're doing, so I haven't been taking a lot of blocking notes either. The one thing that has stayed exactly the same is that I always shut off the lights and lock the doors,” Geyer said.
For the drama crew, Geyer states that performing for a camera will feel much different than performing for a live audience.
“In theater, we rely on the audience to give us live feedback through things like laughter and applause, so without that it's going to be hard to keep the same levels of energy. Essentially, instead of having a crew hanging out in the wings, we're going to have a crew hanging out behind the camera,” Geyer said.
Robu states that COVID-19 is the big difference between this year’s play(s) versus the previous years’ because it affects everything they do.
“It is the reason we are offering the fall play virtually, it is the reason we wear masks in rehearsal, it is the reason auditions were held outside, it is the reason we are not offering a musical, it is the reason I chose a show for the spring that will allow for the actors to wear masks if necessary,” Robu said.
To anyone who is interested in viewing the virtual play this fall, the cast will consist of Bethel students and two guest artists, Injoy Fountain (who recently appeared on The Voice) and Yannic Dozier. They will be performing “No Cross, No Crown: Covid Edition”.