Live theater gets creative in shift to livestream

Mitzi Maxwell introduced an online reading of the play “Collected Stories” with understatement to spare: “This is an unusual time.”

Maxwell is executive director of Mad Cow Theatre, which for the past few weeks has presented online staged readings of “Collected Stories” and “Under Milk Wood,” coupled with post-show discussions. The downtown Orlando theater is not alone.

The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol, which operates at The Villages, also has instituted an ongoing play-reading series. And director John DiDonna will present an online reunion reading of his 2009 production of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” on Saturday, July 25.

But are these online alternatives to in-person shows effective? I tuned in — can we say “tuned in” for theater now? — to a few of these events to see if they could scratch my itch for theater. By and large they did, though let’s be clear. They certainly aren’t the same as being in the actual room as the actors and luxuriating in the creativity of a full-scale performance.

However, these smaller-scale events demonstrate their own creativity. And they can transport you from your surroundings into a world of imagination — though it takes a little more effort to let go of reality when from the corner of your eye you see dirty dinner dishes piled in the sink.

‘The tool we have’

Maxwell put it in perspective, saying of Zoom: “It’s the tool we have right now, and we’re going to take advantage of it.”

Zoom, as many people have learned, is an online video-conferencing service designed for meetings but now used for everything from family birthday parties to graduation ceremonies.

Despite the simple format,

Mad Cow delivered surprises. As with DiDonna’s “Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” Mad Cow went with reunions of actors already familiar with the work.

First up was “Collected Stories,” a two-actor show that reunited Karel Wright and Piper Rae Patterson in the story of a young writer who betrays her mentor — or perhaps doesn’t betray her mentor, depending on your point of view.

Under the direction of Denise Gillman, there were fun moments indicating a pandemic can’t stifle imagination. The women effected quick costume changes while off-camera. Lighting variations helped set the mood. In one bit, Wright “handed” a cup of tea to Patterson by leaning toward her computer’s camera with one cup, while Patterson then pulled back from her camera… with a different cup, of course. But that didn’t matter; it was the motion that counted.

Which plays work?

Both Mad Cow productions, along with the Studio Theatre’s “The Violet Sisters,” demonstrate that certain plays will work better