BWW Blog: A Director's Perspective on Making Virtual Theatre

Sometime back in May, I found myself in a time of grieving for the loss of opportunities. With each week that passed, it seemed that the likelihood of things "returning to normal" for the fall semester was slim. I'm a planner, and I knew that I needed to be directing throughout college in order to achieve my post-graduation goals. Instead of depending on my college to give me a directing opportunity in the midst of the pandemic, I decided to create my own. I asked a fellow Theatre for Youth major, Amy Ethington, to take this creative journey along with me. We committed ourselves to the project with our time, finances, and creativity. The informal project began in the midst of artistic drought and culminated into a beautiful virtual performance that was seen by over one hundred fifty young people.

Due to the current state of the world, it's more difficult to produce theatre. Broadway, regional, and educational theatre alike are restricted. Live theatre seems to be in hibernation, which means theatre-makers must get creative. As a director with limited experience, I knew that I couldn't wait until the world cleared up to continue making art. I found a theatre for the very young show titled "The Biggest Little House in the Forest" (written by Rosanna Staffa, music by Victor Zupac, based on the book by Djemma Bider), and decided to go about adapting it for a virtual world.

It's important to choose a piece of theatre that you are passionate about in order to help ensure that you will follow through.

As a teaching artist, I primarily work with preschoolers. I love their imagination and delight for life. "The Biggest Little House in the Forest" was my ideal choice to direct because it demonstrates my very favorite qualities found in little ones, such as imagination, joy, and

spontaneity. In the show, these qualities are displayed through the playful character of the narrator and her animal friends. In addition, the show uses music, movement, and puppetry to teach the very important lesson of inclusion. A final reason for my selection of this show was that it had a single actress playing every part, and could be effectively performed regardless of whether it ended up being in person or virtual. I found comfort in knowing that the show could adapt to the ever-changing social distancing guidelines.

In order to be an innovative director, one must also have an actor willing to come along for the journey.

Initially, I set out on this adventure in order to give back some of the opportunities that had been taken away due to the coronavirus. I knew I needed an actress that was hungry to learn, but full of grace as I learned, as well. Additionally, the actress had to be vibrant, adaptable, and dedicated. Amy Ethington was the person for the job. When I pitched Amy the idea of performing a virtual show for preschoolers, it took her a moment to fully grasp what the project would entail. After thinking it over, Amy gave an enthusiastic yes to joining the project. The biggest challenge with a new project is often starting.

Even though the initial idea and planning of the play began in May, the actual rehearsal process didn't start until much later. Before beginning, many questions swirled through my head about technical, logistical, and financial limitations. However, once the commitment was made to perform the play, I took things one step at a time. One vital step in the process was when the team of puppets was assembled to serve as our animal cast members. For weeks, we worked on characterization and established a unique voice for each of the six puppets. Unlike typical in-person rehearsals, Amy and I rehearsed virtually from our own homes, which presented some unique challenges.

By truly embracing the technology, one can have creative breakthroughs. We discovered quite quickly that working in a virtual space had limitations: fast movements can get blurry, being too far back can cause a lack of camera focus, and poor internet connections create a whole range of challenges. While in some ways the "Zoom box" can limit a performance, it also can help you make magic. Since Amy was only in-frame from her waist up, we could hide all the puppets and props on the ground making them pop up in fantastical ways. We also put a bubble machine just out-of-frame, which made the bubbles appear to arrive magically.

Securing a supportive team of creative individuals takes the performance to another level. While I wouldn't change the experience, I do wish Amy and I had enlisted help sooner. Through this process, I realized the importance of gathering a team of experts to help with the little things. The first new member of the team was Hope McMahone, the stage manager. Having a stage manager take care of the technology, sound, props, and set allowed me to focus on directing. Soon after finding a stage manager, we invited Emily Weaver and Zoe Clark to help build the set and props. Without their help, many design elements wouldn't have been completed to the high quality of the final product. In addition to the invaluable assistance, having a team gave a sense of legitimacy to the project.

By putting one's heart into a project, the work can exceed expectations. The team and I poured our hearts into the little show, and as a result, it grew into something we couldn't have imagined. Due to our dedication and follow-through, professors and peers supported the show through kind words, acts of service, and financial means. What started as two students throwing together a show for their families, became a school-sponsored, four-time performance that reached over one hundred fifty small children and their grownups. One final thought to aspiring directors during this time of theatrical drought: feel empowered to create your own opportunities. Those people who your art touches, however few or many, will be grateful, and you will be better for it.

A special thanks to the following people for making the performance possible: Emma Taylor (Theatre for Youth Series Sponsor), Amy Ethington (Actress & Set Designer), Hope McMahone (Stage Manager & Crew), Emily Weaver (Properties Designer & Crew), Zoe Clark (Crew), Laura Byland (Theatre for Youth Professor & Consultant), David Glenn (Technical Consultant), and Jenna Foster (Photographer)

*This show was produced with special permission by Plays for Young Audiences, a division of The Children's Theatre Company-Minneapolis.

To post a comment, you must register and login.