By Grace Cornell

Two chairs face each other, about ten feet apart on the Oates Theater stage, and a few more are placed further away, on different sides. That was the usual set up for the majority of rehearsals for Collegiate’s Upper School’s fall production of John Cariani’s Almost, Maine,in which I was fortunate to play a role. The play, which consisted of nine scenes, with two to three people in each scene over two acts, was not the original plan for the fall production. 

Oates’ green screen. Photo credit: Taylor Dabney

Back in May, auditions were being held virtually for a production of the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The musical seemed to be the perfect choice, given its smaller cast and production needs. However, as the summer went by, COVID-19 began to diminish any hope there was for a fall musical. After much deliberation and discussions over streaming rights, Collegiate’s theater department reached the conclusion that a musical wouldn’t be fathomable, given the safety protocols that would have to be in place. Many more important conversations led to the decision of live-streaming a play for this year’s fall production. 

The first two weeks of rehearsals took place on Zoom, where new casting decisions were made and scenes were read for the first time. Once the production was given the go-ahead to move into Oates the first week of school, many changes were made. Unlike previous years, where rehearsals were two hours on Monday through Thursday and three hours on Sundays, rehearsals this year lasted an hour and a half Monday-Friday, with no weekend rehearsals until tech week. Rehearsals were shorter to accommodate the physical plant team’s extensive cleaning that takes place in the Hershey Center for the Arts each night. Temperature checks were performed upon arrival, and masks were worn at all times during the rehearsal process. Many rehearsals consisted of running scenes while sitting, and the process of blocking out scenes came much later than normal. 

Photo credit: Taylor Dabney.

The stage was divided into two “sets;” one on stage right and the other on stage left. Each “set” was made up of two taped out boxes separated by plexiglass. Director of Performing Arts Mike Boyd says, the “dividers [were] between the actors to keep them safe and allow them to act as they would under normal circumstances.” Each box had a monitor and a camera in front of it. In the monitor, cast members were able to see exactly what the audience would; themselves and their scene partner(s). Boyd explained that, “using production software, green screens [were] implemented to digitally project the scenery in conjunction with some physical props.” Every cast member wore a microphone so their voices would be heard clearly during the livestream.

Behind the scenes of Almost, Maine. Photo credit: Taylor Dabney.

The crew consisted of student and teacher lightboard, soundboard, and camera operators, as well as students on the deck crew. The cast and crew were continuously kept in line by two wonderful stage managers, Halsey Hallock (‘21) and Johnny Galanides (‘21). Galanides reflected on the show, saying “it was a real struggle to get used to social distancing and wearing a face shield,” but “the core of the putting on the show was still the same.” Hallock remarked, “I was the only student who could touch all the props, cameras, and monitors, so I set up the stage for rehearsal. I also had the fun job of making sure that everyone stayed distanced.”

CNU actors on stage. Photo credit: Chandler James Pettus.

Collegiate is not the only school having to rethink their theater program. Christopher Newport University sophomore and Collegiate theater alumnus Chandler James Pettus (‘19) has also been involved in live theater during the pandemic. Ironically, the CNU theater department staged their own production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It faced many changes, but Pettus said, “despite circumstances, it was at least live theater.” Just like Collegiate, the first week of rehearsal was held on Zoom, and their total rehearsal time was shortened due to safety precautions. The cast also lost three weeks of rehearsals because CNU had to push back their move-in date in September due to a COVID outbreak in the area. Cast and crew wore masks during the entire rehearsal process, and they sat in lines of chairs facing each other roughly 60 feet apart. 

CNU’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Photo credit: Chandler James Pettus.

For the actual production, the theater department was given permission to use the Ferguson Center, the main auditorium on campus that is used for concerts and touring productions. The Ferguson Center is not the normal location for CNU theater productions, but it’s much larger than their usual venue, proving to be a better fit for social distancing. The auditorium usually seats over 1700 people; for Spelling Bee, 50 masked audience members sat two people per row, per night. The first eight rows remained empty, and only the floor of the venue was used.

Spelling Bee is a musical “all about intimate moments and audience interaction,” according to Pettus, so many elements of the show had to be altered. Intimate moments were confined to pressing hands against the plexiglass, and COVID jokes were added into the script to appeal to the audience. The cast sat in two rows of chairs placed about 20 feet apart. There was a plexiglass shield in between every character. The cast members walked onto the stage, masked, in a straight line. Once they arrived at their particular seat, they were able to take their masks off. As soon as the show was finished, the masks were put back on before the cast exited the stage. An orchestra was also on stage, with all musicians wearing masks, and they too were surrounded by plexiglass.  Costume designers could no longer fit people for costumes, so many cast members brought their own articles of clothing to wear for the show, which was the case for Almost, Maine as well. 

A scene from Almost, Maine. Photo credit: Taylor Dabney.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has shut down live performances on platforms like Broadway and all around the world, and it has forced many artists to put their work on hold. Productions require lengthier planning processes to accommodate safety guidelines, and putting on a show can prove more difficult than in the past. However, the extra time and effort that goes into making a show during the pandemic makes the experience special. In Pettus’ words, “I’m never gonna do a show like that again.”

Featured image credit: Taylor Dabney.