From the Stage to the Virtual Theatre

From the Theatre to the Screen: Virtual creativity showcases students’ bravery and vulnerability

For creatives, the need to create and consume art doesn’t stop when our everyday life is put on hold. In fact, an outlet for selfexpression can become more important than ever. Not only, does art in every form provide a means of escape, but it also allows for both the artist and the audience to gain further understanding of the world around them in a time of so many unknowns. This school year, the question became: When the physical theatre is closed, how do you perform for an audience? Across the world, COVID-19 forced creatives to look past the physical bounds of the performing space to discover new ways to make and present art. This was no different at Harpeth Hall. Here, teachers and students examined what it means to express themselves, to tell a story, and to share their talents. What emerged were new and inventive ways to collaborate and share performances through the world of virtual theatre.

“Our choir program was hit hard by COVID safety protocols,” Choir Director Matthew Pyles said. “While we normally rehearse and perform shoulder to shoulder in a tight-knit community, we had to reimagine what it means to be a singer when that could be a dangerous action.” In every field, what was once live and in-person had to become recorded for the safety of the students, teachers, and the audience. In many ways, “recording performances is tougher, but it is also very educational,” reflected Orchestra Director Lori McDermott. “It requires the girls to really self-assess their performance. While this allows room for future growth, it does not provide the energy from the live audience.”

The girls and their directors pivoted gracefully. In the fall, instead of an in-person workshop, orchestra students had the opportunity to work with renowned violinist Mark Wood for weeks over Zoom thanks to a grant from the Hays Foundation. They produced rocking music video performances with Mr. Wood that now live on virtually. Chamber Choir students worked with award-winning singer-songwriter Rivers Rutherford to create a modern twist on the Harpeth Hall alma mater “Magnolia.” Also funded by the Hays Foundation, the beautiful song was performed at Awards Day and Graduation. This unique experience was something the girls may never otherwise have been able to be a part of. Mr. Pyles saw recording as a chance for the students to have an experience similar to that of a Nashville studio musician. For the final choir performance, singers signed up for a time slot, entered the practice room-turned-recording studio, and recorded themselves singing their part. “This took incredible bravery and vulnerability from our students to not only record themselves, but also to watch themselves on video,” Mr. Pyles said. “I am so proud of the students for taking big risks, and for being such good sports in a class that looked very different from what they had initially signed up for.” The courage and adaptability of Harpeth Hall students was also demonstrated in our theatre department. This fall, plans were made to host a small, in-person production of Lauren Gunderson’s “Silent Sky.” Students rehearsed behind masks and over Zoom for weeks on stage. With a set built and costumes ready, three days before the performance was set to open, several cast members were sent into quarantine.

“When we began ‘Silent Sky’, we did not anticipate we would have to move it to a virtual platform,” Director Janette Fox Klocko said. “It was a steep learning curve. Having to scramble from a completely live platform to doing it virtually was an incredible process. With girls at campus and at home, we had to talk them through how to record virtually, make sure they had their props and costumes, and deal with the technical roadblocks that came with the platform.” The students only had three rehearsals to shift their performances and blocking from the mindset of being on a physical stage to that of being on film. The results were inspiring to Ms. Klocko. She reflected that she is “just so grateful to the students and I was really pleased with what they were able to do.”

This spring, Ms. Klocko chose to perform “Help Desk” by Don Zolidis, a play designed for the digital medium. “With ‘Help Desk’, we were able to take our time to create a performance specifically for recordings. It is a different medium. It was a great opportunity for the students, I am just really proud of them.” At the end of a year like no other, the Harpeth Hall performing arts department presented two plays, two choral and orchestra concerts, two dance concerts, and a musical, all digitally in our school website’s new virtual theatre. A remarkable feat. Moving forward, with the new technological skills and creativity Harpeth Hall students acquired through producing digital performances, audiences should expect to see more content created specifically with a virtual audience in mind. Even with the new skillset, our students can’t wait to perform in person again. As Ms. McDermott said, “Performers really respond to the energy of the audience. They rise to the performance when it is live.”