We were in the middle of our rehearsals at Dixon Place in lower Manhattan when we received a call we had lost our rehearsal space. I started calling more venues to see what alternative options might be open to us at a short notice, meanwhile texts kept coming in from collaborators. “Do you think there will actually be a show?” It was March 13th, and no. There wasn’t a show, as over the course of the next few days the city went into a lockdown.
Together the city has since faced incredible changes. Inspiring revolutions, a multitude of protective measures to defend one another, speaking up and taking action against cruelty and oppression. The art that took over the streets and our feeds: murals, grafiti, music, poetry, photography, breathed fire under these necessary changes. For weeks arts had been a resource for comfort and distraction through familiarity, humour and beauty. Now it was a powerful, aimed device. To inform, educate and inspire through beauty and emotive imagery.
When we got back to working on our play for Reykjavík Fringe Festival we knew we were working within a very different context than few weeks ago. We had a different medium in this time of social distancing. What had been a highly physical production, with long movement sequences and intimate choreography serving half the storytelling, was now an intimate zoom call between a young couple. Instead of seeing two bodies entwined on stage, now we as an audience were looking directly at the actors as if we were the recipients of their call, their words of love, their frustrated shouts. The actors’ inability to touch or comfort one another felt painfully familiar.
It is the most intimate I have ever experienced theatre, and while we have limited time and resources to fully explore this new medium, I am very much hoping you join us at 3pm New York time, or join us 7pm Icelandic time at Hlemmur Square, on Monday July 6th, as we live stream our performance for Reykjavík Fringe Festival, followed by a Q&A with author Melissa-Kelly Franklin.
Press here for streaming link and information about the show.