In Defense of Virtual Theatre

 BY MALIK WERTMAN

Throughout the last seven to eight months theatre has seen one of its biggest changes in decades. For most, if not all, theatre companies and organizations their performances have been canceled because of the national crisis that is COVID-19. For the very select number of companies that are able to pour money into creating theatre in a safe environment, I thank them. The continuous showing of any type of drama is vital for society. We have seen in generations past, the trend of collapsing society and the absence of theatre. So, I believe in order to give this nation and the world its best shot we must continue to push out works of art. In my opinion the easiest and best way to do this would be to continue putting on shows, but virtually, no live audience. I think that for the circumstances that we as theatre lovers are given, this is our best chance to continue doing what we love. Now some may say that producing shows can wait, but what do they know? Studies done by UCLA’s Graduate School of Education by Dr. James Catterall show that children need the arts (linked for more details). Dr. James Catterall explains that both the left side and right sides of the brain need to be stimulated in order for you to reach your full potential, neurologically speaking. It is important for children to immerse themselves in the arts, creative thinking, to exercise the right side of their brain. These studies done by Dr. James Catterall show that children who participate in theatre are less likely to drop out of school, participate in community service, the list goes on. So, am I arguing that theatre has more of a role in society than just entertaining, absolutely. This wraps me back into the use of the internet for theatre. If we as humans want to give theatre its best chance at surviving, we must role with the punches and adapt. I am not arguing for a complete and total change of viewing and producing theatre for ever, but just until we are safe again. Online theatre doesn’t just give a chance to theatre lovers to continue to experience theatre, it also gives those who wouldn’t normally want to go to a theatre and sit in the audience for three hours to watch a show a chance to experience the arts. I can speak from personal experience, well not my experience but my fathers. My father is someone who does not enjoy going to a show and sitting in the same uncomfortable seat for hours on end. So, with the change of theatre going online for some companies and shows this gave him the opportunity to see something he does not usually see. When Hamilton was put on Disney+ a few months back, my father decided to give it a shot, going into the experience with all expectations set below the floor. After watching this wonderful show, for days on end he would not stop praising it. He even asked if there were more shows that he could watch online. After finding that not many other big companies were putting out their art for free, he became discouraged, but found solace in smaller name shows. These shows not being any better nor worse than the mainstream he began to grow a love for theatre. So, what I am trying to say is that although being forced to do virtual performances is not ideal, it is a blessing in disguise. Virtual theatre reaches out to a whole new group of untapped viewers. Virtual theatre gives those who find the theatre space unenjoyable a whole new way to experience the art. I once again say and firmly believe, if theatre is to survive this unprecedented era of troubles it will have to adapt, and that adaption is virtual theatre. We are not only allowing ourselves to continue to do what we love, but we are also giving the chance to those who may not every see theatre in a normal setting a chance to experience the beauty that is theatre.