Shakespeare by the Sea decides the show must go on … virtually
It took a worldwide pandemic to stop Shakespeare by the Sea from doing business as usual, which in its case, is touring a pair of plays throughout Southern California outdoor spaces every summer, free of charge for one and all.
But when you’ve got as much love for the labor as it does, lost opportunities compel you to create new ones. So for the first time ever, Shakespeare by the Sea is online, presenting a pair of its namesake’s most obscure works to put at least a little something in the void that COVID-19 has created in the theatre world.
Judging by the response to the first of the pair of plays, this little something is welcome indeed. Rehearsed over the course of three weeks via Zoom and then with a pair of in-person run-throughs, on Oct. 24 the troupe staged Titus Andronicus on San Pedro’s Little Fish Theatre backlot in the relatively traditionalist style Shakespeare by the Sea fans have come to expect. The final product — every bit a live performance, with footage spliced together from three cameras but otherwise unedited — had over 800 registered viewers when it premiered on Halloween night (appropriate timing, considering Titus is the Bard at his goriest) and has picked up over 200 more since then.
Come Jan. 23, Measure for Measure — another first in Shakespeare by the Sea’s 22-year history — will be added to the mix.
“I figured that our longtime fans would be excited to see/watch these [rarely] produced plays,” says SbtS co-founder and Producing Artistic Director Lisa Coffi. “The thought process behind this, for me, was to provide a project that got us all back together doing what we missed out on this summer — doing something positive, creative, and fulfilling. Rather than present the shows we’d planned for the summer, I wanted to jump on the opportunity to tackle plays that wouldn’t necessarily be presented as part of our ‘family-friendly fare.’”
Although everyone involved is concerned about COVID-19 (so much so that
was postponed from December until January to comply with LA County stay-at-home orders), Coffi feels presenting these shows with the actors face-to-face — and sans masks — is essential.
“We rely on facial expressions to communicate fully, and the masking cuts us off,” she says. “We’re hungry to see people communicating and interacting and not frozen in Zoom while we wait for the internet to catch up.”
Otherwise, however, extensive safety protocols are employed.
“The entire theatre area inside Little Fish Theatre was used as a dressing room, [with] each person having their own individual space,” Coffi reports. “Masks were required for everyone at all times except for the people on stage during the final filming.”
Initially, of course, cast members had concerns about participating, but the producers’ mitigation efforts were reassuring.
“I definitely had serious reservations in saying yes to this project,” reports Tara Donovan, who plays the much-abused Tamora in Titus and has to perform completely in silence after her tongue and hands are chopped off to prevent her from revealing the identities of her rapists, “but Tamora is a bucket-list role for me and Titus Andronicus is my favorite Shakespeare play, so I wanted to consider all the factors. I also work in the film world, so after hearing all the precautions being taken and the similarities to those being done on union and studio film shoots, I felt comfortable saying yes. I knew most of my castmates prior to starting rehearsals, and I trusted that they would be limiting their exposure and that we all had this sense of the common interest to protect each other’s health and safety.”
The unorthodox rehearsal process was also a challenge.
“Every actor works differently, so I think we all had different difficulties in the process,” says Patrick Vest, who performed the title role in Titus Andronicus and will direct Measure for Measure. “Personally, I am very spatially aware, so during rehearsals the lines just come to me based on where I am in the space [… b]ut because we couldn’t actually stage until two days before the cameras showed up to shoot, I didn’t have that luxury. I had to work in a way that I never
work in order to get off book, and so I don’t think I was ever really as comfortable with the lines or my performance as I have been in my other show.”
“The online rehearsal process was difficult,” says Donovan, who will take on a dual role in Measure for Measure. “No matter how much I thought I knew my lines, I couldn’t remember them when facing a screen. Plus, you’re not connecting really with your castmates. The time on Zoom was more about each of us digging into the story and our own characters, which you don’t always get as much time for when rehearsing in person. I felt I knew my character and her story inside and out by the time we got together. When we as a cast were able to finally connect, we found moments and built relationships so much more quickly. The short amount of time for staging wasn’t as scary as it seemed when proposed because we were individually prepared. It just became about coalescing and remembering where to exit. Every time we ran it in person, it seemed to evolve exponentially. By the time we took our masks off, we had been together for a couple of days, and it began to feel a bit like old times — like we were just doing a show. I guess that’s the nice thing about being an actor: when you’re on stage, everything else in your own life fades away and you are in the world of the show.”
Coupled with AB 5, the well-intended but overly broad new law drastically reducing the range of workers who can be employed Shakespeare by the Sea’s production of Titus
Adronicus is available online. as independent contractors, COVID-19 has created a double-barreled existential crisis for California theatre companies — and so Coffi hopes theatre lovers will contribute what they can to help Shakespeare by the Sea afloat.
“Being closed since mid-March has created a very challenging financial situation,” Coffi says. “We’ve done our best to minimize expenses, basically going into semihibernation. We had grant funds for [our]
2020 summer season that we’ve been allowed to use on creating virtual experiences. Those funds, along with our PPP loan, are what is, in part, supporting the staff working on the SbtS Virtual Project. But that runs out at the end of the year. Hence the ‘ask’ for donations. We still need to pay rent, utilities, and other operating expenses. What 2021 holds in store for us is anyone’s guess. […] It’s challenging enough to be a small theatre operating in San Pedro, AB 5 has made it almost impossible. For [us] it means less rehearsal time, plays with smaller casts, less productions, more special events, more fundraising, more stress … just more. AB 5 plus COVID-19 is double whammy. […] It definitely makes me question why am I doing this? The admin alone often brings me to my knees and makes me want to weep. The answer, for me, is the people — the actors, the production team, the audience members and supporters. Being a member of a group of phenomenally talented, resilient, determined artists cheered on and encouraged to continue by appreciative champions is amazing. It’s giving people hope that we can overcome these challenges and continue our artistic endeavors. We’re creating memorable experiences and are part of something that’s bigger than ourselves.”
Times: On demand— Measure for Measure premieres Jan. 23. Reservations are required to receive the link
Cost: Free (donations gratefully accepted)
Details: (310) 217-7596; www.shakespeare bythesea.org
To view Titus Andronicus on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/SbtS-Titus-YouTube