Thank you to
Andy Dumas
who brought to my attention a letter entitled
“This Is Not Theatre”
written by Tableau D’Hote Theatre in Montreal. The premise was to say that theatre is not something that can be replaced with digital versions. It is fine to fill our time looking back at some shows on tape now but some feel theatre will never be the same because of the pandemic and should almost cease to exist in the normal realm. Rather it should all be “virtual” or digital. I agree totally with the writer of the letter and I have referenced many times that even though Shakespeare’s theatre was closed for some 78 months during the bubonic plague, it did come back. We will come back! Here is an excerpt from the letter:
“
Theatre is the art of gathering. Without direct encounter with the audience, theatre does not exist. Without this delicious and dangerous awareness of the fallibility of the humans there, in front of you, theatre does not exist. Without the mystical awareness of sharing a unique, fleeting moment, theatre does not exist. Its existential quality is based on its ephemerality. Theatre is what happens between humans gathering together. Theatre is built on the ideas and feelings shared between souls gathering together. We build multifaceted universes, integrate new technologies, we sometimes collaborate with other artistic disciplines, but none of this affects the essential nature of the performing arts, which fulfill the prehistoric need of humans to be among their own, to observe oneself in the cathartic presence of fellow humans.
…
theatre will survive this crisis. It will standby. It will endeavor to face its fear of emptiness. It will be patient, but if necessary, it will imagine unexpected ways to bring us together other than through our screens. It will be performed in front of an audience of twelve, will disperse in a football stadium and will distribute astronaut suits to its audience, thirsty for human proximity. It doesn’t matter: as long as we are together.
And then, when the time comes, the theatre will open its doors wide and resume its role where it left off. We do not want a digital exit from the crisis. It is through direct contact with others that we will find that strength that we have missed so much.”
Many people replied to my question last week about how you would feel about going back to see a show. I am working on plans for what our reopening might look like. Perhaps it will be outdoors or perhaps in a church or venue that we can spread out in. Perhaps people will wear masks. We will no longer be the “huggy” crowd that we normally are. Hand sanitizer stations will be abundant. We will listen to the various levels of government for their insight as to when it is safe to gather again. Perhaps it will be in the fall, or in the New Year, or maybe summer 2021. But we will be back and we look forward to that time when we can all be together again sharing the great stories!
