Theater Returns to NJIT: Virtual Series Explores Quarantine Life, Zoom As Stage
Even in the social distancing era, the show must go on for the art world. That includes the NJIT/Rutgers-Newark theatre arts community, which is soon returning to its audiences with a string of all-new virtual performances exploring art, click-based technology and social connections during physical isolation.
The theater group is prepping to premiere its latest work to home audiences via Zoom, titled “One Click Away” — a collection of four one-act plays all written, directed and set in the present reality of COVID-19 quarantine. The performances delve, through comedy and drama, into various aspects of the struggle to connect during social distancing and lock-ins. The series debuts via live stream Apr. 29 at 7pm online at http://theatre.njit.edu.
“Presenting theater in any venue is possible, and it’s especially meaningful right now during a time of isolation,” said Michèle Rittenhouse, director of the NJIT Theatre Arts and Technology (THAT) Program. “The plays of this series are the first of a new art form for our program. ... Our characters’ friendships, love affairs and attempts to celebrate normalcy take place in virtual boxes across the country, but it doesn't stop them from connecting and finding one another and solving their everyday conflicts.”
“We need to instill in all our students ways to adapt and grow when the old rules have changed,” said Louis Wells, artistic coordinator, RU/NJIT Theatre Program. “The social distancing measures will alter live arts, theater, dance, improvisation, music and more, but live storytelling has adapted as long as humans have been around and it will continue to adjust. Our program felt it was important not to wait, but to strike out as soon as possible to illustrate the value of an arts education on a STEM campus — improvisation, adaptation and resilience.”
Along with the topical subject matter, the series is also artistically acknowledging the forced change in performance medium — the theater group’s regular live stage setting at Kupfrian Hall’s Jim Wise Theater now having been swapped for its performers’ personal living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens through the popular conferencing platform.
That transition from live stage to webcam production also comes with its hurdles. Some performers have to enlist the help of family members that they are sharing quarantine time with to help run light cues for the show.
“We haven’t pretended that the characters are not on Zoom, instead we’ve treated Zoom like it is its own environment, like a stage,” said Rodney Reyes, NJIT theater arts production manager. “All of the performers are working from their own homes, separate from everyone, and each performer has also now become a set, light and costume designer for their part of the production … It’s been a unique challenge.”
“My show has some technical effects and it has been fun to work out how, in this limited situation, we can improvise a solution,” said Wells.
Above: Rehearsal of the One Click Away production, “Let Me In” directed by Louis Wells.
“It’s definitely been a challenge acting in a limited space such as my bedroom in front of a laptop,” said Katarina Schmidt, a dual THAT/Communications major and Albert Dorman Honors scholar who has been rehearsing her role as Lois in the series production “Surprise Party” most nights of the week, taking instruction from the likes of Rittenhouse and her director Dan Drew on the other end of her video chat. “Every rehearsal we have been going over our character biographies, running through the script and working out the kinks. I’ve had to adjust aspects of my performance, such as recognizing that the audience will be much closer than they are normally during a stage performance, so my expressions don’t need to be as exaggerated.”
“It’s really made me step outside of my comfort zone … I knew this would be a great opportunity to not only showcase my skills digitally, something we rarely do in live theater, but also to keep the NJIT-Rutgers theater program alive for people who turn to the arts in such a time,” added Schmidt.
The series’ short performances have been crafted by professional Newark-based playwrights to clock in at around 10-15 minutes, each varying in their handling of the series’ themes title-by-title, from dramatic realism to the absurd.
“Lifestyle Content” (written by Lia Romeo and directed by Lillian Ribeiro) is about four social media influencers struggling with the post-COVID 19 world, while “Surprise Party” (written by Michèle Rittenhouse and directed by Dan Drew) is about the trials and limitations of friendship during social distancing.
“Distance” (written by Robert Kerr and directed by Maria Aladren) is about two lovers longing to reconnect as one of them is forced away, while “Let Me In” (written by Ashley Lauren Rogers and directed by Louis Wells) is about a group of podcasters who deal with the paranormal and get invaded by a Zoom-bombing phantom.
“[This production] is giving our students experience working with new technology to connect emotionally with each other and our audience,” said Wells. “Rather than lamenting the loss of our ‘normal’ life, we are challenging the performers and the audiences to explore our new circumstances and find something positive.”
For more information on “One Click Away” and the upcoming virtual performance, visit http://theatre.njit.edu, or contact Louis Wells at wells@njit.edu.
