The New York Times: With most European countries lurching between lockdowns and reopenings over the last year, it has been a disruptive time for the continent’s many theater fans.
When theaters open up across Europe, likely in the coming months, they will do so in an increasingly digital world (theaters in a few countries, like Spain, are already open).
2 comments:
This time last year I was in France and traveling with my mom and my sister to visit family. It seems kinda strange to think about travel (I haven't been on a plane in over a year now) and I have honestly tried to block out being about to travel and go see shows because it's just sad to not be able to... A few years back, on another trip to France with my mom and sister, we also got to fly to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which was an absolutely incredible experience. I got to meet up with my high school theater friends that were taking a trip to see the Fringe Festival as well and being able to experience live theater, in a different country was a priceless opportunity that has been sorely missed. We will see how this next year goes and who knows what the future holds, I hope that people go back to theaters and are looking forward to living performances again
I really appreciated the different lenses explored through this article, especially that of Jessi Parrott who uses a powered wheelchair. They are actually optimistic about the return of theater, hoping that accessibility issues will be addressed as we re-examine how in person spaces can be filled. I share some of Parrotts optimism, but have some reservations as well. I do believe that people will want to return to theaters as soon as they are able. But I am not so sure that the industry will have changed much for the better. I wish more than anything else that this time could have been used for reflection and growth. But it seems like, due to a lack of aid (especially in the US) the industry has been forced instead to focus on fighting for their survival. I am hopeful for theatre overseas, but I think reform won’t come as soon as we would like the moment the pandemic is over in America.
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