What You Need for Online Theatre

The above quote from one of my theatre professors has stuck with me past graduation, and seems to increase in relevance as time goes on. It is particularly potent right now, as the performing arts have been forced to awkwardly reposition themselves in a world where people can not gather in large groups into the same room, if in the same building at all. There are adjacent prophecies regarding the “death of the film industry”, and while one cannot deny that the arts have taken a massive hit that we will be recovering from for years to come, I refuse to believe that logistical circumstances like a lockdown will eradicate live theatre entirely. This is, in fact, simply a chapter where theatre must once again adjust its available spaces and media as has been done in the past, like renovating a French tennis court, to accommodate for what we must.

What do those accommodations mean? It means becoming less dependent on some aspects of theatre, and investing more in others. For many, it means trading a physical elevated stage for a webcam and a microphone. For some (particularly, those with the budget to do so), it means incorporating cameras into rehearsals and shows. However, it seems as though the general trend has been a full integration of theatre into technology. And if you’re aching to create some kind of theatre or live storytelling event, here are two low-budget routes to consider in the fast-growing world of online theatre.

Livestreamed Theatre

This past spring, I hosted and organized a 24-Hour Audio Theatre Festival for my school, and while it was certainly one of the more ambitious projects I’ve taken on, I also knew that I possessed the skills and knowledge of remote recording and broadcasting that many of my peers did not. This is a result of having run a small YouTube gaming channel for the past 6 years, during which I’ve become very familiar with YouTube’s live streaming setup, as well as video/audio/screen capture software such as OBS (Open Broadcasting Software) and Streamlabs. That, along with a combination of Discord servers, Facebook voice calls, and one Zoom meeting, allowed me to create an event that was both live, quarantine-safe, and creatively challenging to those who’d never done audio theatre before.

Storytelling Podcasts

This is a pretty open-ended concept, in that it includes everything from recording semi-improvised role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, to pre-written audio theatre. If you don’t want to lose the element of live performance, tabletop RPG’s are an easy and fun route to take, combined with the previously mentioned broadcasting implements. For those unfamiliar with the storytelling style and overall mechanics of RPG’s, numerous online educational resources can be found on the subject, including, but not limited to the official Dungeons & Dragons website, as well as many homebrew sites that can help you in shaping your own lore for your campaigns. These long-form episodic stories may also be a fun change from rehearsing the same story over the course of months, while still allowing the cast to develop attachments to their characters.

In-person performances may remain the ideal, and any creative endeavour that incorporates technology will inevitably pose its challenges, almost certainly some that you or your peers hadn’t encountered before. I am also curious as to how the events of 2020 will affect the performing arts in the coming years. But despite these complications and creative obstacles, I believe that as long as there is a desire to create art with our bodies, faces, and voices, theatre will never die. We just need to expand what "theatre" can be, and always encourage each other to keep creating.