Of Course the Arts are Essential. Right Now, They are Virtual.
Award-winning TV/Broadway/Film writer Aaron Sorkin opens his play The Farnsworth Invention with the line, “There’s a rule in storytelling that states you should never tell your audience something they already know, but I’m going to chance it anyway. . .”
So in that spirit, here are some things you may already know about the “new normal” for theater at this precarious point in time, thanks to the corona virus:
The performing arts are essential to our lives. They make us think, feel, imagine and grow. They are especially important during times of crisis.
Due to the current global health emergency, we will not be gathering to see any performing arts events live for a while. Maybe a long time,
If you can, please consider ordering a season subscription to your favorite local theater right now, even though no one knows when the doors will open again. Also, if you can, ask that any tickets to cancelled performances be rolled over into another performance or donated to the organization as a tax-deductible gift. It will help a lot.
The arts will survive adversity. As you’ve probably already read on Facebook, when London’s Globe Theater was closed during an outbreak of the plague, Shakespeare took his pen and went home and wrote King Lear. So anything is possible.
Being in the room with a full audience while gifted actors perform a show in front of you is an exceptional, irreplaceable experience. But we don’t have that option right now, so it’s time to start talking about back-up plans.
Now that all of that is out of the way, here’s what I’m thinking:
First, I’m really bummed that I won’t be able to see all of the performances in Madison and Milwaukee (and New York and London) that I was scheduled to review this spring/summer. But, readjusting my expectations, I’ll be very excited when those companies start welcoming audiences into their theaters again.
Second, we’ve got some options for muddling through the next few weeks or months. Looking for something timely? Here are some musicals that I think speak to this moment. . .
Rent by Jonathan Larson. All about the AIDS epidemic of the late ’80s/early ‘90s, based on Puccini’s opera La Boheme, when poor 19th century artists were fighting off consumption. The fear of “your own bloodcells” betraying you might have a bit more resonance now. And like the struggling artists in the East Village, it feels like the powers that be have actually “closed everything real down” like sports, restaurants, bars and “performance spaces.” Sure it sounds a little dated, but it’s all about love and life and art triumphing over adversity. I say “Viva la vie Boheme.”
Come from Away. This show, which is set to play Overture Center this summer (fingers crossed), is about a little town in Newfoundland, Canada that took in 7,000 plane passengers who were rerouted there after 9/11, and how they all came together to deal with an overwhelming, unthinkable circumstance. There’s pain and grieving, but there’s also resilience and love and a lot of really rousing music. Based on real people and a true story, it’s very easy to follow along with the story, even if you haven’t seen it onstage.
Spamalot. The musical based on the Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie is full of all the running gags, Python humor and silliness of its source, with the addition of some pretty funny songs. It also includes the oft-quoted scene “bring out your dead,” set during the original plague. And we’re not dead yet. We might be getting better! A little back humor there.
Titanic the musical. Riding on the popularity of the enormous James Cameron film version, it won 5 Tony Awards in 1997, but doesn’t get produced much these days. If you’re looking for characters facing disaster and death, well, I won’t spoil the ending.
You could also rediscover a musical you love. This week I’ve been throwing myself back into Spring Awakening, Fun Home, and of course, Hamilton, with a little Waitress on the side. I’ve also been trading recommendations on cast albums with a friend, which is super entertaining. It’s nice to be able to share a favorite and watch someone else discover the joy of an amazing story.
Or discover a new musical that hasn’t made it to the Midwest yet. I have been dying to see The Girl from the North Country – with a book by Connor McPherson and songs by Bob Dylan. It opened on Broadway on March 5 of this year and was shut down the following week. So. . . I ordered the cast album so I can dive into the story in the only way I can right now. Nice to have something new to listen to as I do the dishes, disinfect things, etc.
Read a script. Every time I hear someone say, “plays are meant to be seen, not read,” I physically cringe. Then I wonder if they’ve ever read a novel or a poem – something that also asks the reader to fill in the blanks of the experience with their own imagination. Reading plays can actually be amazing. Cast them and costume them yourself in your head. Then listen to your favorite actors give the performances of their lives. It’s fantastic.
So where are these plays? The New Play Exchange (online) has more than 30,000 plays listed and catalogued – many of them brand-new and never produced before. For a small fee, you can log on and discover lots of new favorites. (And when you do, leave a review!) Also check out the Kilroys List for new, exciting plays by women. Many public libraries are beefing up their online holdings. Check for new titles there. And finally, look around online at Amazon or Concord Theatricals (formerly Samuel French) for play scripts. Many are downloadable. Find one you love? Recommend it to a local theater for consideration in an upcoming season. Seriously.