Since the coronavirus pandemic closed theatres in March 2020, Virtual Play Readings have become increasingly prevalent. Live-streamed or Recorded...
Since the coronavirus pandemic closed theatres in March 2020, Virtual Play Readings have become increasingly prevalent. Live-streamed or Recorded Readings on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo or on theatres’ websites play an important role for Theatre Artists in this transitional time. Significantly, they provide opportunities for theatre companies, Playwrights, Directors, Actors and the Technical Staff to practice their craft and maintain a public presence until in-person performances resume. Additionally, theatres can select work for Virtual Play Readings that they might have avoided due to casting considerations. With Virtual Readings, a diverse casting pool is wide open, and Theatre Artists can have their work seen by audiences across the country and around the world, some of whom may not have access to live theatre.
In addition to Play Readings, various forms of theatrical entertainment are now live-streamed - concerts, galas, dance pieces, monologues, improvisational and experimental works - all manner of performances. Thrust into new territory out of necessity, Artists are adapting, improvising and expanding the parameters of these hybrid forms, exploring the space between theatre and film, and even generating custom-made work, such as “Zoom Plays,” specifically for the new medium.
