It has been a usual Saturday today with one exception. I went to the theatre! Well, it was online and not in person, but it was a wonderful event. The audience participated via Zoom with huge screens stretching across the theatre so the actor could see everyone. As we signed in, our view was of the screens -- the view from the stage. It was similar to watching people as they arrive to be seated in actual seats. The single actor called on audience members to participate individually and as a group and there was a discussion time after the performance to elicit questions and comments on the topic and process. The play dealt with the experiences of Freedom Riders in the early 1960s as adovates for desegregation in the southern US -- a hefty topic. As someone who values history and education, I have found the use of theatre a unique pedagogical device. This playwright-actor-producer made history culturally relevant and contextualized history within the current time. Much research back up the multiple characters played by the actor so stories reflected true experiences. The discussion clearly showed that audience members saw the content as germane to current day events.
This is the second time I have joined this type of group -- each with the same artist. Locally, our summer rep and local theatre seasons have been canceled. Local actors and playwrights have developed radio plays in lieu of live stage productions. I enjoy listening to these in the installment process of the 1940s that my parents and grandparents spoke of often. Yet, I am still an audience of one. With the Zoom process and a live production, I felt part of a larger audience. While not the same as sitting in the same large room together, we were still together and could see each other on the screen. I so enjoyed the creativity of the play as well as the innovative presentation style. One thought I had when reflecting on my experience was if anyone had spoken of exploring the experiences of audience members and the actor with this type of production. The artist spoke a bit of how the process affected his performance, but I'm sure there is much more that could be learned from this type of research question. Hey, I had been told that the educator and researcher part of my thought processes would not go away even after retirement. Guess they were correct. That part of the brain isn't switching off any time soon <grin>.
The song shared today was sung during the play tonight. It refers to laws of segregation that were present in Canada as well as the US. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Halleluja, I'm Traveling -- Chris Vallillo
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