Into the Woods and Through the Fear, You Have to Take The Journey

My spring musical, Into the Woods, scheduled to open April 1st is postponed.  This April Fools' is no joke. Sets abandoned, costumes hanging on their racks, wigs sitting idly on their styrofoam heads in front of makeup mirrors all waiting for somebody to call "places."

Technology has allowed me access to my cast. But when you're trying to rehearse Parts 1 - 9 of the prologue of Into the Woods on Zoom from 56 remote locations, let's just say, it doesn't work.
Wifi signals vary. Lags in transmission play havoc with Sondheim's already complex rhythms creating a cacophony more dissonant than the score itself.

Anyone who knows me, knows that Into the Woods is my favorite musical. But as the Meme going around theatre circles says, "When I said I wanted life to be more like a musical, I didn't mean Act II of Into the Woods."  Eerily on point. Equally chilling was my choice of our 19/20 season theme - Courage.  Irony? Premonition? Intuition? Coincidence? Bad luck? You pick.

"No more questions. Please. No more tests....comes the day you say what for... just no more!" 

The drama we are living will no doubt result in great art.  YouTube is already bursting with creativity.  I've always said, theatre people are the most generous of human beings. With no lights and no stage, they are finding ways to reach out to support the community of out of work performers, writers, directors and most notably, young theatre students through multiple social media platforms.

It will be left to this generation of emerging theatre artists to tell the story of "how it all happened."
An unseen, microscopic giant has come into our midst.
Through our social isolation, we are conversely coming together out of responsibility to the community.  "Careful, no one acts alone."  

As a theatre educator, I am reminding myself every day as I strive to keep my cast inspired, hopeful and connected through tablets, iPhones and computers, "Careful the things you say. Children will listen."

It may be "Hard to see the light now. Just don't let it go. Things will come out right now. We can make it so. Someone is on your side. No one is alone."