Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
CMU School of Drama
Thursday, February 18, 2021
San Diego Opera announces spring drive-in opera festival
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Following on the success of its outdoor productions of “La bohème” and “All is Calm” last fall, San Diego Opera has announced a two-weekend drive-in opera festival this spring in the Pechanga Arena San Diego parking lot.
4 comments:
Gabriela Fonseca Luna
said...
As someone familiar with the San Diego theater scene, it brings me a lot of joy that the season – at least a modified version of it – will be able to continue in spite of the pandemic. I think that opting for an outdoor arena was a great decision. It allows for ample space to park cars, a stage can be put at virtually any place. Granted, being outdoors can be good or bad, it depends on what the subject in question is. Costumes and sets would need to be constructed in a way that accommodates this new environment; at the same time, it allows for a different set of skills to be used. Overall, it makes me feel hopeful that they are able to still put up a show. The entertainment industry has been probably hit the hardest in the past year, so knowing that some things are still possible is nice.
My family has been going to drive in movies since I was little. It is nice to experience entertainment away from home, but still in an environment that to some degree is in your control and comfort. Depending on the drive in, you can bring snacks, pets, blankets, or even show up in your pajamas. None of these are really anything you could do in a conventional theater setting. Still, I would love to be back in an in person theater setting, but I understand and am willing to embrace whatever creative opportunities there are to experience live performance. I hope to see parking lot concerts and performances like “The Barber of Seville” more often and around the globe. I think this is a way to make performance more accessible and should be considered even after it is safe to return to the conventional stage. As long as they can operate in harmony, I think this would be lovely going forward and I am especially glad that is allowing for opportunities now for creators and audience members alike.
Drive ins have become a fantastic way to go have some fun outside of the house during the quarantine. I went to many a drive in movie this summer over break with my family and a couple friends and it quickly became one of my favorite things to do. The cozy nest of blankets as well as being able to bring your own snacks and drinks made for an even more fun viewing experience than a movie theatre. I can only imagine how much fun it would be to have the same cozy experience with a live theatre. As the weather got colder I was sad to see this new idea go away but it obviously was no longer practical in the snow. I am glad to see plans to bring it back in the nicer weather. I hope as more theatre open up and as COVID restrictions hopefully lighten up over the summer that more places will embrace this method of sharing their art and helping the industry get back on their feet after such a long time of inactivity.
I’m so sad I won’t be back in California for the brief run of this production. I’ve been desperately trying to find a source of theatre that I can enjoy again during this time. Zoom theatre just doesn’t do it for me. I love the experience of dressing up, getting dinner, and going out to the theatre. It makes me sad when I just open up a new tab. In the beginning of the pandemic when I was struggling to get used to the monotony of everyday life, I found going to the drive-in theatre to be a fun safe experience I could share with my family members. It makes sense that this same model would translate well to operas. At first the ticket price turned me away because $100 to $300 for something I watch in my car seems steep but it’s not too bad since it’s priced by car. If you split the cost with roommates or family members that ends up being a great price to see live theatre.
4 comments:
As someone familiar with the San Diego theater scene, it brings me a lot of joy that the season – at least a modified version of it – will be able to continue in spite of the pandemic. I think that opting for an outdoor arena was a great decision. It allows for ample space to park cars, a stage can be put at virtually any place. Granted, being outdoors can be good or bad, it depends on what the subject in question is. Costumes and sets would need to be constructed in a way that accommodates this new environment; at the same time, it allows for a different set of skills to be used. Overall, it makes me feel hopeful that they are able to still put up a show. The entertainment industry has been probably hit the hardest in the past year, so knowing that some things are still possible is nice.
My family has been going to drive in movies since I was little. It is nice to experience entertainment away from home, but still in an environment that to some degree is in your control and comfort. Depending on the drive in, you can bring snacks, pets, blankets, or even show up in your pajamas. None of these are really anything you could do in a conventional theater setting. Still, I would love to be back in an in person theater setting, but I understand and am willing to embrace whatever creative opportunities there are to experience live performance. I hope to see parking lot concerts and performances like “The Barber of Seville” more often and around the globe. I think this is a way to make performance more accessible and should be considered even after it is safe to return to the conventional stage. As long as they can operate in harmony, I think this would be lovely going forward and I am especially glad that is allowing for opportunities now for creators and audience members alike.
Drive ins have become a fantastic way to go have some fun outside of the house during the quarantine. I went to many a drive in movie this summer over break with my family and a couple friends and it quickly became one of my favorite things to do. The cozy nest of blankets as well as being able to bring your own snacks and drinks made for an even more fun viewing experience than a movie theatre. I can only imagine how much fun it would be to have the same cozy experience with a live theatre. As the weather got colder I was sad to see this new idea go away but it obviously was no longer practical in the snow. I am glad to see plans to bring it back in the nicer weather. I hope as more theatre open up and as COVID restrictions hopefully lighten up over the summer that more places will embrace this method of sharing their art and helping the industry get back on their feet after such a long time of inactivity.
I’m so sad I won’t be back in California for the brief run of this production. I’ve been desperately trying to find a source of theatre that I can enjoy again during this time. Zoom theatre just doesn’t do it for me. I love the experience of dressing up, getting dinner, and going out to the theatre. It makes me sad when I just open up a new tab. In the beginning of the pandemic when I was struggling to get used to the monotony of everyday life, I found going to the drive-in theatre to be a fun safe experience I could share with my family members. It makes sense that this same model would translate well to operas. At first the ticket price turned me away because $100 to $300 for something I watch in my car seems steep but it’s not too bad since it’s priced by car. If you split the cost with roommates or family members that ends up being a great price to see live theatre.
Post a Comment