Tips for Watching Theatre Online by LIAM COLLIER
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, theatres around the world have had to adapt their art form for a new medium.
The performance that you are about to watch was not designed for the screen. Unlike the writers behind your favorite TV show, Cheryl L. West, the playwright of Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It!, did not imagine you watching her play from your home. On the contrary, the most recent iteration of West’s script is meant to be performed outdoors in public parks and parking lots across Chicago and the Midwest.
to social media will never compare to the live event, a recording of a piece of theatre will never be quite the same as the real thing. Which is all a roundabout way of saying: you are about to watch something imperfect. With this in mind, here are some steps we recommend you take to give yourself a more fulfilling theatrical experience:
Before you begin E. Faye Butler, who plays Fannie Lou Hamer, is an incredible, • Imagine the space. Fannie charismatic performer; Lou Hamer, Speak On It! however, just as the blurry is meant to be performed videos of a concert posted outdoors. Think of a 7
public space near you where fifty audience members could safely gather for an evening of socially distanced theatre: perhaps a nearby park, a football field, or a parking lot. Imagine the location on an autumn afternoon. If you can, sit outside or near an open window while you watch. • Set aside any distractions. Theatre often expects its audience’s full attention. Unlike TV shows, which you can pause and return to, plays build tension by asking audiences to lean in and listen closely. If you’re able to, go to a
