Datebook: Curtain time was drawing near for Mummenschanz’s “you & me” at San Jose’s Hammer Theatre Center, so to maintain a sense of normalcy, I went through my standard theater criticism rituals as best I could.
I got dressed up and put on some lipstick. I opened my notebook to a clean page. I couldn’t take my standard social-media-worthy photo of the show’s program in front of the stage, so I asked my husband to take a photo of me at my humble home office. I closed all windows and apps that might ping, but I couldn’t shut down all my electronic devices. I’d need one to watch the show.
3 comments:
This article is something I really needed to read right about now. With all the depressing news circulating the media right now, having one article with proof that livestreaming theatre is a very possible future is the right amount of positive hope that I think our whole industry needs at this moment in time. One aspect about this article I really like is how the author writes and contemplates their fears going into the experience regarding how the lighting could have drawn out of the experience and not have the same effect, but in actuality, it felt even more surreal. I think this solution is ideal for weaning back into things after the heat of everything, but while people should not really be together in the slightest, I think all theatre, unless it’s a one person show, needs to rest until the virus takes a chill pill and stops killing everyone.
I personally enjoyed this review for its open honesty about the experience and separating that a bit from the show. It's obvious the show was well-liked and had the author been able to see and in-person performance it probably would have gotten very good reviews. This review, however, was shuttered by the filming aspect. She brought up a point which I think is important to remember when we ask ourselves why we don't always live stream performances. To be straight: because they are not as good. You miss out on crucial reactions and mutual emotions by the audience. There is no sense of formality or occasion. There's no anticipation upon traveling to the theatre or reflective walk out as you react with your fellow viewers. Part of seeing theatre to me is also who you see it with. I always enjoy going to see shows with my friends or family but you're kind of limited in options when the country is told to stay home.
This is really exciting to hear, and a much-needed spark of good news in the current depressing state of the arts. I think it’s great that this theater was able to livestream successfully, and that they had the equipment they needed already to be able to pull it off. I like how the author framed the article in light of her fears about the performance being assuaged, especially the line about how she was worried that she would give it an unjust review because of technology failure. I’m sure the technological difficulties were frustrating, but that’s only to be expected in a new art form. I thought the mentions of being able to hear other audience members were interesting - my initial thought was that it would be easy for someone else to overpower or spoil the performance for you, but experiencing theatre in an audience with other people is also a wholly different experience from watching it alone. It’s like the difference between watching a movie in a packed theater vs by yourself in a theater - neither is necessarily ‘better’, depending on the movie, but they are certainly completely different experiences.
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