Theatre in the Internet Age

Working on this production of Antigone has already been challenging and satisfying and the company has yet to all gather in the same room at the same time. Despite that we have all communicate virtually via FaceBook and other channels. This is just a tiny hint of the possibilities of Theatre in the Internet Age. Recently I had a very good 1:1 Rehearsal with the actress who plays Antigone in our production. We talked about scheduling future rehearsals and she mentioned that, in the event our schedules don’t allow getting together we can always rehearse over FaceTime. This idea struck me at something really interesting and rife with possibilities.

Actors for the theatre in America today are living in an age of enhanced communication, and practicing an art form that dates back 2500 years. During my last brush with the corporate world I was often heard to say that “Because we’ve always done it this way” is not a reason to continue doing something. That often proved true in business and I think it is just as true in art, and perhaps even more so.

If we can FaceTime 1:1 rehearsals between actors, we ought to be able to use that technology for the table reads, round table sessions, style meetings, 1:1 rehearsals with Directors, and on and on? For that matter. Why not take it to the limit? Why not do all the rehearsals and all the meetings in a virtual space and have the company of actors gather for the first time on opening night? I would love to do this experiment and if there are any other actors out there who are game, hit me up. Let’s find new ways to do Theatre.