ARTS

ARTS WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE

BY KATHLEEN MCCOOK, DIRECTOR OF THE MURRAY ARTS CENTER

IIn the realm of theatre, an audience is not just desired, it is essential. e audience serves as a collaborator in the process of bringing a playwright’s work to life. Performers derive much of their energy from the audience and seek the affirmation an audience provides. Without an audience, performers and the director may not realize the impact of their work and can be left feeling discouraged, frustrated, and unfulfilled. Performing to a virtual audience is not much of an improvement. OVERCOMING THIS LACK OF AN AUDIENCE IS DIFFICULT FOR THE MOST EXPERIENCED OF PERFORMERS, YET, WHEN OUR STUDENTS FOUND THEMSELVES IN THIS POSITION, THEY MET THE CHALLENGE HEAD-ON AND ROSE

TO THE OCCASION. Our 2020-2021 performers were provided the new opportunity to learn what students before them had not had the opportunity (or reason) to learn – performing to an empty house and livestreaming into the homes of our families. e middle school production of Elf, Jr. faced unique challenges. In addition to performing only for a camera, the students had to work within the confines of COVID-19 physical-distancing restrictions. Scenes had to be rehearsed carefully and with masks. Blocking had to be intentional in spacing, while at the same time upholding the integrity of the scene. e cast of the high school fall show choir production was in a similar situation, but with the added complexity of choreography. e cast was carefully divided into three cohorts to protect from an entire cast being “taken down” by COVID exposure. Within each small cohort, each performer had their own “safe space” on stage where they could sing and dance and be out of reach of other performers. Rehearsals were held via video recordings and Zoom to keep students safe. is also provided a learning opportunity for students, as they had to work diligently on their own and be accountable for learning their parts individually. Meanwhile, the Murray Arts Center team was busy preparing the Kristi Lynn eatre for limited live audiences. Seating in the theater was converted into “pods” of seats – some for two people, some for three, and a few for groups of four. e capacity of the theater went from 577 to only 140; roughly 25-percent capacity. Ticketing had to be handled in-house, with each ticket being carefully assigned. In addition to six feet of space surrounding each pod, the technical theater team created filtered fans to place in the slightly lowered orchestra pit to help circulate the air. Instead of one large performance, two were held nightly to keep the time in the theater down to a minimum. Between performances, the theater was cleared and fogged with a sanitizing spray. Similar to the adjustments made for drama activities, students in dance, band, and orchestra found themselves equally challenged and adapted their approach to learning and performing, both on and off the stage. Visual arts students were unable to present in-person art shows, yet the middle school created digital galleries through the MPCS visual arts web page. e high school choral class was moved to the Murray Arts Center grand lobby, where students had ample room to spread out. e orchestra could then move to the choral rehearsal room for needed space. WHILE PERFORMING IN THE TIME OF COVID WAS CHALLENGING, IT CREATED MANY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO STRETCH, LEARN, AND

GROW IN THEIR ART. It is noble to find the good in this past year, but at the end of the day, we look forward to full houses cheering on and encouraging our students once again. W