Area arts and entertainment scene dealing with pandemic
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Like every other industry, entertainment and arts are taking a major hit during the current health crisis.
Proctors recently furloughed 80% of its staff, which affects Capital Rep in Albany and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. The Egg, and virtually every other entertainment venue, has eliminated all part-time workers.
The hope is those workers will be rehired when things return to normal. The question is, of course, when will things return to normal?
There is no live theater scheduled before May, and it is doubtful that anything will be produced before June. Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Mass., has already cancelled its first summer production, “The Great Leap,” which was to open May 27June 13.
Most summer theater companies have sent out notices that the hope is their seasons will be uninterrupted. However, you can sense the nervousness between the lines of those letters. A major question, for which there is no answer, is even if shows resume – will the public opt to see a production in an enclosed space with some 500 strangers?
One company that thinks the answer is yes is Playhouse
Stage Company at Cohoes Music Hall. Rather than cancel its production of “Pippin,” originally scheduled for Apr 16 -24, it was postponed until June 4-14.
However, in the summer Playhouse Stage Company produces as Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park. Owen Smith, the executive director of both organizations, says he is planning the outdoor summer musical, “Evita”, will open as scheduled in lateJune.
However, to hedge against a cancellation, he says they are looking at reducing design and production costs – and delaying construction - so that large losses from huge expenditures will not be extreme should a cancellation be necessary.
In an effort to keep a flow on entertainment, many organizations are streaming. Indeed, there is actually an abundance of world-class entertainment available. The Metropolitan Opera is streaming productions of past seasons. Broadway shows are putting their archives online and you may do virtual tours of almost any museum in the world.
Though many sites are free, some of the offerings do demand a fee.
The majority of content offered on line consists of past performances. Very little is new. However, some local organizations are already streaming, or in the planning stages of doing so.
In a telephone interview with Jon Elbaum, executive director of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, he said he is exploring a partnership with public radio television station WMHT to air some live content produced in the Hall. He admits nothing imminent, but he says he is committed to pursuing streaming of live shows. “We must find a way to keep the arts alive,” he says.
Perhaps the most unique streaming experiment is MopCo, an improvisational theater troupe located in Schenectady. On Friday and Saturday evenings they will stream original shows. Making the complicated even more complicated, the performers will not be onstage together. To maintain safety measures, each actor will be working from a separate location.
Michael Burns, a cofounder of the improv group, says that after two weeks of streaming they feel they have the technique to the point where the product is certainly fit for public consumption. He does admit the only element they haven’t mastered is the use of music. “It always sounds dubbed in, like the way old foreign films sounded.” He compares it to being on a five-second delay.” After his own five-second delay, he laughs and says, “Maybe that’s a premise for a skit.”
As an organization, they have history working by remote with clients. Not only does the group offer live performances, they offer classes in improvisational techniques. They also have a separate division, Koppett, which does corporate training and teambuilding. Burns says his wife and fellow co-founder of MopCo, Kat Koppett tells him, “We’ve been in training for this moment for twenty years.”
Burns insists improvisation is an ideal form of comedy for streaming. “We don’t work from a script, and the comedy is spontaneous. It should have the same feel as the live shows at our theater.”
He says the plan is to have a director pick the shots of the various actors. Not only will they focus on the person talking, they will also get reaction shots. “It will get better each week,” he says. “I don’t know that we will compete with Netflix, but I do think it is important for local content to be available to those who want it. Anything that helps keep spirits up is valuable. And I know our shows will offer a lot of laughter.”
There is no fee to log into the show, which will take place 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. There will be suggestions to make a donation to MopCo or to purchase a gift card to future live performances.
The MopCo streaming can be found on YouTube, at the MopCo Facebook page or at their website at Mopco.org.