BWW Blog: Performing “In This Moment”

In March of 2020, the world was thrown into a confusing, depressing, and stressful situation. A global pandemic. Every industry in the world has been affected, most of these industries have adapted, but unfortunately, some of them have not. That has been the fear for the performing arts. With Broadway tentatively opening in June of 2021, it brings up the question, how long can the arts survive? Millions around the globe have careers that are dedicated to the performing arts are out of work, and not getting any pay checks because there is a minuscule amount of work available during this time. So how do theatre and the performing arts adapt during the time of COVID-19? Well, some theatre groups have done online workshops over Zoom, perform virtual shows, radio plays, outdoor performances with social distancing and masks, and so much more.

One of the largest challenges are students who have just graduated from college to pursue acting or any job within the performing arts, or who are in those programs right now. Some have questioned if it is even worth getting a degree in something they may not be able to do in a long time. Luckily, most theatre groups have been able to adapt to the times, and one of those places is the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (UWSP).

UWSP has developed a concept to continue performances within the prodigious theatre and dance program. To adapt to the time of our country, the department of theatre and dance thought of a new idea that would include new works written, directed, and designed by students in the overall performance called, In This Moment. In This Moment tackles the issues we are facing within America today. In This Moment is a virtual performance of 10 various fringe pieces which include plays, songs, monologues, and so much more. With each piece being filmed and edited in advance, it gives the students and faculty a chance to really encompass the structure of the events occurring in our society today and how to address them in a meaningful and effective way of presenting messages to audience members. Every production has been either holding rehearsals over Zoom, or socially distanced in person rehearsals with masks, while taking all of the performers and production team's health and wellbeing the top priority. Presenting a collection of theatre for one to enjoy anywhere, at any time makes this type of show convenient to take a moment out of one's day and relish in the moment of enjoying theatre once again. One of the most vital aspects of theatre are the lessons and themes throughout each show. Theatre has been used for covering some controversial topics, sometimes making audience members uncomfortable, but sometimes, that is necessary to get the message across.

While some people want to go back to the past or head to the future, that is not an option. We can only live (and perform) in this moment. I invite you to check out In This Moment, to not only get your theatre fix, but also to take a moment to think, learn, and listen. So while we keep humming the musical theatre songs for twenty seconds while washing our hands, or binge watching the latest releases on Broadway HD, we know that this is "only intermission", and we will return to the stage eventually. In the meantime, I encourage each and everyone of you to watch In This Moment to not only enjoy a piece of theatre, but to learn and understand what is happening within our world today, and how we can make it a better place tomorrow. We don't know when we will get back to performing theatre without the need for masks or social distancing, because we are living in a world of "unknowns". However, we do know that we still have theatre, and while it might not be the way we are used to enjoying it, we still have it, and we should be grateful for what we have, because we never know how long we have something for.

In This Moment will be available for viewing from Friday, October 30 - Friday, November 13. Tickets can be purchased to view the performance at tickets.uwsp.edu