Littlebrain Theatre has announced the upcoming release of an original filmed play, Groups of Ten or More People. The play is a new work of "isolation theatre:" written for, rehearsed within, and filmed via the video conferencing program Zoom, featuring Chicago-area theatre and film artists who have lost work due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The hour-long play will premiere online on Friday, July 10, 2020 at 7:30pm, and be available to view for free on Littlebrain Theatre's YouTube channel.
Adapted from William Shakespeare's comedy Love's Labour's Lost, the new adaptation is written and directed by Gaby Labotka and Zach Barr. The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Janette Angelini (Costard), Sarah Liz Bell (Maria), Lars Ebsworth (Moth), Kim Fukawa (Jaquenetta), Ben Kaye (Adrian), Gaby Labotka (Rosaline), Andrew Rathgeber (Berowne), Thomas Russell (KT), Stephanie Shum (Frances), Alejandro Tey (Longaville), Austyn Williamson (Dumaine), and Avi Vodnoy Wolf (Navarre). The play also features animation work from Kelsey McGrath, and original music from Andrew Behling.
"Groups of Ten or More People tells the story of four students in the early days of a global pandemic, making a pledge to use their time effectively to better themselves: learning new languages, playing new instruments, writing new scripts. But, as the long hours pass in isolation, they each find themselves daydreaming about their special someones. Will they hold to their pledge to focus on productivity over romance? And how can they make a connection when the world tells them to stay six feet apart? Groups of Ten or More People is a light comedy to make you laugh, sigh, and wash your hands frequently."
The full play will be available for free on Littlebrain Theatre's YouTube channel (link here), at 7:30pm CDT on Friday, July 10, 2020. A "second act" of the play will be released during Fall 2020, to be filmed once the State of Illinois' social distancing guidelines allow the cast to safely meet in person.
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