While businesses across the country are slowly reopening, Broadway is still a ghost town and the future of local live theater—from small community one to the large professional ones—remains on extended intermission during the pandemic.
While the stage is dark and reopening dates are unknown, theaters throughout Tampa Bay have stepped outside of their comfort zones to connect with their audiences virtually.
Whether livestreaming to Facebook and YouTube or live and prerecorded performances streamed live on Zoom, theaters are thinking outside of the box to continue their mission statements to entertain.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay caught up with over 30 local theaters, who despite living with uncertainty, remain hopeful and positive. We wanted to find out how they’ve been staying connected and what their plans are for summer and beyond.
Aeon Life Theatre
President Tammy Modica has been regularly posting updates on Facebook after an April production was postponed due to Covid-19. “We're just looking for when it'll be safe to do Clue,” said Modica. aeonlifetheater.com
American Stage
American Stage wondered what its core purpose was during this time and adopted a whole new way to connect with their patrons. Staff and artists share “Summer Shorts,” a series of live performances and videos that the audience can watch from home, including the Shakespeare Lite Festival on June, 10-minute New Short plays festival in July, and a celebration of favorite scenes and characters for the theater’s 43-year history called “Living Room Plays,” in August.
In addition, “Spotlight: The American Stage Podcast” offers special guests discussing American Stage’s work and the world of live theater. Live for 30 minutes on Monday evenings in June, “Creative Conversations” also features CEO/Producing Artistic Director, Stephanie Gularte in a Zoom series of virtual roundtable discussions with the community about live theater during the pandemic and beyond.
Though students may still be able to participate in a socially-distanced in person camp at Admiral Farragut Academy beginning June 29, Summer Camp has also gone virtual June 8 through July 31. Students can register for weekly sessions from the comfort of their home. (check website for Covid-19 regulatory updates.)
Adult classes in Sketch Comedy, African-American Theatre Legacy, and Live & Laugh workshop are available virtually beginning in June. Family Connection virtually explores storytelling each second Saturday morning of the month beginning in June with themed classes. American Stage is also hosting a virtual family talent show.
“We’ve adopted a whole new way of operating. I asked our leadership team as we roll out these to programs, to create long-term offerings and platforms for us and not just a bandaid,” Gularte told CL. “I do have to say that I’m a to-the-core live theater person. I don’t think anything we can do digitally can replace being in a space together, and that visceral experience just cannot be replaced. It’s also true that because we are theater professionals—we’re not film, television or video professionals—what we do can’t and shouldn’t look exactly the same as to what those mediums do already really well. I think we’re going to learn some things that work really well that we want to hold on to once we are back onsite with programming.
“Right now, it’s really important to us that we maintain a connection to our community and that we really give a sense of hope. We want to provide something that feels connected.” americanstage.org
Black Water Theatre
Founded by India C. Davison and Willie J. Hannah, Black Water Theatre’s (BWT) mission generates a pathway for African American Artists. During the pandemic BWT have given all artists an outlet to display their talent through its social media platforms. Previous weeks can be viewed on Facebook (BlackWaterTheatre) and Instagram (@bw_theatre).
“We provide a haven for raw Black art, unify our community and showcase representation for our youth because they are the future,” Davidson told CL. “We are excited to bring new works of Black Theatre and Black Excellence to Central Florida.” facebook.com/BlackWaterTheatre
Broadway Everyday Star Theater
Founder Katie Welch has been connecting with her community through music videos. The first collaboration, Annie’s “Tomorrow” showcases the talents of dozens of local actors of all ages. Its second video, “The Greatest Showman” song “The Greatest Show” will be released soon. In the future, Broadway Everyday Star Theater (BEST) will be doing more music video collaborations from “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Smash,” “Rent,” Disney and more.
During the summer, BEST is planning on free virtual improv classes hosted through Zoom or Google Hangouts.
“We will have five people per class including myself. It’s first come first serve and if we have the class filled fast, then we will add more improv classes. Our first class will be at the end of June,” Welch told CL. “You can find more information to join our music videos and improv classes at our Facebook page or our website.” bestshows.org
Carrollwood Players Theatre
Carrollwood Players Theatre (CPT) connected with its theater community with “CWP In Motion,” a “FUNdraiser” that collected nearly $2,000 over 57 Facebook Live events with 20 different volunteers. “CWP in Motion” gave people a chance to engage with each other, provided creative people an opportunity to put on a show, and allowed the overall community an opportunity to participate along with the people doing the Facebook Live events. Stories ranged from cooking, balloon animals, improv, painting, music, and yoga classes to walking and singing show tunes to ghost stories.
The theatre is continuing to find ways to bring original programming into a virtual arena.
Upcoming streaming events are:
- “KIDSPEAK 5.0” online—13 actors, from across Tampa and beyond, perform seven plays from youth playwrights locally and internationally on June 5-7, ticketed event streaming live on YouTube
- “Patriotic Cabaret” (Date TBA)
- “Quarantine the Musical”—original monologues and music submissions are being accepted at info@carrollwoodplayers.org, directed by Gabe Flores, presented in July (TBA)
- Online Zoom workshops in scene study, monologue, directing, and playwriting (TBA)
“We are hoping our mainstage production, ‘Streetcar Named Desire,’ will open in person in the theater in July. We’re waiting to see if we can. They were about to go into tech week when we had to shut down the theater, so the set is sitting there ready to go. We’re hoping to do that in late July, and the “One Act Weekend” will be in late August, and then we’ll open our next season in September… but big hopeful on all of those,” Jim Russell, CPT Managing Director, told CL. “Going virtual has taught people the difference between live and Memorex, with a lot of learning curve on the technology. I think it has inspired performers and artists to grow and expand their horizons in a way that we never really thought about. Artists are learning how to be studio performers as opposed to stage performers. I think it’s a positive thing, but of course, there’s nothing like the excitement in the air of a live performance with the audience sitting right there looking at you. That energy—there’s nothing that can compare with that.” carrollwoodplayers.org
Eight O’Clock Theatre
Over the past couple of months Eight O’Clock Theatre (EOCT) has been posting “Blast from the Past” videos, where a cast member tells about their experience with the show, and then shows some clips.
“It’s been a lot of fun and our audiences have been loving it,” Sarah Roehm, public relations rep for EOCT, told CL. “We are also very fortunate that our next scheduled show is one that has a nice-person cast. We are hoping to move forward with it, even staging our cast members socially distant. We are obviously figuring this out and will be sure to follow all guidelines and keep everyone safe, but we are excited to think outside the box and see what that looks like.” eightoclocktheatre.com
Francis Wilson Playhouse
Francis Wilson Playhouse did its first streaming concert on May 8, so the theater has turned it into a virtual 8 p.m. concert series through June and July that gives performers the opportunity to get back onstage and connect with patrons while raising money for the nonprofit.
- May 29: “Comedy Tonight”—a musical treat with humorous Broadway songs, some on stage, some filmed remotely. All interspersed with jokes and comedy bits a la “Laugh In”. Additionally, a few brief video snippets of classic movie comedy as well. All dates below TBA.
- “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over”—a Broadway style concert of summer/vacation themed songs and remembrances.
- “Red White & Blue Broadway”—a patriotic celebration of America, with songs by George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin and many more.
- “Hello, My Baby”—a lively celebration of the great songs of the 1890’s-1920s including pop songs, ragtime and selections from comic operettas.
- “Radio Day”s—An old-fashioned filmed radio broadcast, complete with great 30s/40s songs, commercials and a sound effects man.
- “Broadway in the 50s”—the best songs from the Golden Age of Broadway, including “Damn Yankees, “My Fair Lady,” “The Pajama Game,” “The King & I” and many more.
“A personal “silver lining” bonus for me is that all my family lives far away and usually doesn’t get to see me perform, but because of these streaming concerts my folks, my sisters, grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and niece are all able to tune in from all over the map for a performance they wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise,” performer Lisa Prieto told CL. franciswilsonplayhouse.org
freeFall Theatre
Artistic Director Eric Davis has been working with staff to present virtual programming that continues to engage freeFall patrons while upholding his vigorous standards for quality. freeFall sent patrons to its YouTube page where it has a large collection of “Making of” featurettes courtesy of filmmaker Leigh Simons, including a three-part documentary on freeFall's smash-hit “The Normal Heart.”
Inspired by the work of The National Theatre in London, freeFall recently began to present some of its productions free of charge on YouTube. As a unique way for patrons to engage with the artistic team, “A Theatre” Wednesdays at freeFall has 75-80 participants discussing the productions with Eric and our production team on Zoom.
On select Sunday nights they present “Sunday Night Live” on Facebook Live. A staff member teaches the viewers a cocktail recipe and takes questions about freeFall productions past, present and future.
In June, they will be sharing a new series of shorts called “Outside The Box” that tells the stories of some of freeFall's favorite actors and productions over the years. The new series will help to spark conversation on what it takes to make theatre happen from the perspective of actors and the creative team.
“Like most arts organizations around the world, freeFall has been in a state of hibernation. Our programming was briefly paused on March 15. The same weekend that all theatres in Florida had to suspend operations. We lost the last two weeks of the hit comedy ‘Lone Star Spirits’ and the whole run of ‘Dear World’ was cancelled. Our summer world premiere of Oz by Eric Davis and Michael Raabe has now been moved to next season. As we get 60% of our revenue from ticket sales, this pause has been unprecedented for us and all theatres around the world,” said Matthew McGee, Community Outreach. “In the meantime, we take this pause to thoroughly clean and sanitize our building as we prepare to re-open when it is safe to do so. Our Covid-19 Recovery Challenge continues through the end of this month. A small group of high-level donors will match all gifts to freeFall through May 31 dollar for dollar. Interested parties can visit our website more information and a link on how to donate.” freefalltheatre.com and youtube.com
Innovocative Theatre
To stay connected to the community, Innovocative Theatre has been showcasing videos from performers sharing their experiences in past productions on their Facebook page. They also have been holding private readings of original works they plan to produce in the future.
In June, Innovocative Theatre will begin hosting interactive virtual Murder Mystery Parties. Audience members will have the opportunity to play a character, solve the crime, and act alongside some of the Bay Area's favorite local actors.
“We were very saddened to have to cancel our next production of “Boy Gets Girl,” but it was the right thing to do to keep everyone safe,” said Staci Sabarsky, Innovocative’s Producing Artistic Director. “We hope our Murder Mystery Parties will be an innovative and fun way for families and friends to stay connected during this time… until we can all gather again at the theater.”
More information will be coming soon, so follow their social media for details. innovocativetheatre.org
Jobsite Theater
Jobsite is a company that has largely "stayed connected" to their audiences virtually from the beginning, whether through their social media, blog or newsletter to keep fans in the loop and to directly and honestly communicate with them about their plans and needs.
Virtual projects include “One From the Vaults,” a series that focuses on our artists in their homes, sharing memorabilia and memories from iconic Jobsite productions, and “Socially-Distant Soliloquies” series where ensemble members can keep their tools sharp and offer up little bites from the Bard.
Their second “MadLib” the Bard game allows audiences to choose words for a "remix" of an unseen bit of Shakespearean text that, when completed, goes to vote to see who will offer an interpretation of it for all to see.
“We are also trying to spend this time sharing and celebrating things the members of our ensemble are doing on their own like Kasondra Rose, Colleen Cherry, Jeremy Douglass and his The Florida Bjorkestra, and so on. Most recently the Bjorkestra did this amazing cover of Genesis' ‘Land of Confusion’ all while in isolation. It features a ton of folks — singers and musicians — from Jobsite shows. Before that they did Tina Turner's Thunderdome and a song from the postponed Buffyfest event we were supposed to do at the Palladium on Apr. 11,” said David Jenkins.
“No traditional plays or attempts at plays over streaming/Zoom/etc for us while in lockdown. We are working on plans with our partners at the Straz for when distancing begins to ease but people are not yet allowed to congregate in a theater, but those will need to stay under wraps for now. We look forward to being back as soon as we can with “Doubt,” which is literally sitting there in the theater waiting for us to be able to congregate. We're watching things on an 8-10 week out window and are reacting accordingly, so all we can with any certainty right now is that we won't be any sooner than August.” jobsitetheater.org
Lab Theatre Project
Lab Theatre Project is offering a new workshop that feeds into our mandate "to grow as artists" and "developing new and emerging writers." A 10-week course, "LAB's Project Greenlight" is designed for anyone who wishes to take their story, whether in the form of play or screenplay, and develop it to a completed draft. Participants will learn how to develop rich characters and dialogue that will make their story memorable. The intense program will have writers working with a dedicated instructor as well as professionals from the industry to mentor you along the way. At the end of the 10-week workshop, participants’ writing will be read aloud, by professional actors, before a panel of local theater producers and film producers eager for new work, helping emerging writers bring their stories to life. The workshop starts June 1, 2020. Other classes and workshops, are being set now, and will be posted on their website and on Facebook.
They are also working on our next original play, The Meredith Brothers, written by Jeffrey Kinghorn. This drama is an exploration of relationship between two brothers who were separated from each other very early in life. The older brother has been waiting for the return of the other; while the younger brother has no idea what happened until they finally meet. The story explores family, forgiveness, and moving forward. Plans to bring this to the audience will be announced soon.
Additionally, they continue their work with playwrights, three of them local, to develop their work.
“We recently did a reading via Zoom for The Wendy House, written by Hector Melendez, giving him the opportunity to hear his words aloud. After the reading, Hector and the actors and other participants had a long, productive discussion, providing invaluable feedback to the playwright,” said Caroline Jett, Artistic Director. “We continue to solicit new scripts from playwrights. One focus is 1-act comedis for Lab Laughs, our fundraising event to be held later this year. We are looking for cast size of no more than 5 actors, length no more than 30 minutes. Our other script focus is plays for our 2021 season, looking for any play with 1 set, and a2-3 person cast. Anyone wishing to submit their work may do so at information@labtheaterproject.com.
“We will soon be doing a virtual tour of our new theater space so that everyone can see our new digs. Of course, we are all looking forward to the day we can be back IN our theater, but we have some additional virtual offerings in the meantime.” labtheaterproject.com
Life Amplified
The annual music and variety festival, Life Amplified has adjusted to live streaming on Zoom to Facebook to entertain rather than to fundraise in person for a local grassroots charity. Life Amplified "Acapella Undercover" is an opportunity for the community to enjoy theatre singers from across the country performing behind avatars in an anonymous acapella-only talent competition from the safety of their own homes. The online game show lasts four weeks per “season” and culminates in a head to head competition. Season two begins July 11 at 8pm. To register for this free ticketed event, visit their Facebook page or lifeamplifiedshowcase.com.
“We have judges from the local theatre community as well as the virtual audience voting to save their favorite contestants. In the end, the judges must try to guess the identities of the singers that didn’t make it through to the next round, before they turn on their cameras and reveal themselves,” said founder Deb Kelley. “When you’re in theatre, you are used to the familiar cycle of auditioning, rehearsing, performing, opening, closing. Coronavirus has put every theatre person into withdrawal, myself included, so this is an opportunity to showcase their incredible talents without risking anyone’s safety. These performers are extraordinary and always extremely booked, in high demand. I’m grateful for their participation during our unexpected downtime. With a cast as high a caliber as this, it will definitely be a competition to remember and something fun and free to do during Covid-19.” lifeamplifiedshowcase.com
Mad Theatre of Tampa
Mad Theatre of Tampa made the difficult decision to postpone the remainder of its 21st season. Throughout the month of May, the theatre board pledged $500 and personally donated to Feeding Tampa Bay. They invited the community to donate to their drive, with all proceeds given to Feeding Tampa Bay.
“mad Theatre will contribute up to $1000 in addition to every single penny that you send us. This community has believed in us, and we believe in you,” said Cathy Hooten, president.
“As we continue to navigate these uncharted times together, the Board of mad Theatre of Tampa has decided to postpone the remainder of our 21st season. While this was not an easy decision, we have the responsibility to act in the best interest of our casts, crews, patrons, and venues. “Assassins” and “The Toxic Avenger” will be rescheduled when it is safe to do so and when circumstances allow as part of our 22nd season. Our thoughts are with each and everyone of you as we continue to do our part to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We love our community and hope that you all stay safe and well.” madtheatre.com
MAS Theatre at the Carrollwood Cultural Center
MAS Theatre at the Carrollwood Cultural Center’s upcoming season will consist of streaming productions that will broaden the performance by making the stage anywhere that fits the story. They are determined to give you more than just a show and experience, providing performance art that will reaffirm "all the world's a stage."
Upcoming events are the following:
- “Rent in Concert” – a tribute to be available June 2020 for streaming through the month – ticketed
- Mas Theatre's People's Choice Award end of the season celebration with hosting and performance by their in-house teen group "Ovation." Free to stream with donations appreciated.
- “Titanic” – To be available in august 2020 for streaming and hopefully a full stage concert version – live performance (dependant on Covid allowances) date to be determined. July/early August
- “Bandstand presents…the Ladies of Motown” – live performance august 23rd at 4 pm (providing Covid provisions are being met) with potential streaming available the remaining of the month. Ticketed.
- “The History of the World Abridged” – performed by the Cultural Center's Paul Berg, Tampa actors, Tim Guerriri and Aaron Washington, live and streaming potential opening mid-September. Both ticketed.
- The Carrollwood Cultural Center's teen "Ovation" will take to the mainstage and present an original, no-spooky, but campy and a-ton-of-fun musical performance. Live October 17 & 18 and streaming.
- “Bandstand presents…American Standards,” their second installment of Bandstand…presents! Live performance with streaming possibilities November 22nd. Ticketed.
- To fuel their serious mature actors, they will be offering staged readings of some of the classics in succession beginning with Henrik Ibsen, streamed with a potential of live performance, scheduled for September. Ticketed.
“As we move into a potential "new normal" we at the Carrollwood Cultural Center are deciding to embrace it and its unknown and make every opportunity a chance to add to our story and make Tampa aware that there are so many hidden treasures behind our doors and soon you can experience them with us and/ or in the comforts of your own home,” said Aaron Washington, Events Coordinator. “We plan to bring in a couple of passionate individuals with knowledge of film and a love and respect for theatre and assist with that component. We are determined to marry the two mediums each balancing the other. We are in the early stages but we are excited and confident! It's going to happen. Not all information is listed or updated but please regularly on our website and facebook page.” carrollwoodcenter.org
New Tampa Players
New Tampa Players is doing many different programs to stay in touch with their community. Videos from theatre president Nora Paine have followed the theme of “create together.”
A playwriting project has groups, based on age and schedule, meeting over Zoom over the next three months. Each group will write an original one act play that will be performed in October at their original work festival in their new theatre space in University Square Mall, pending Covid-19 regulations.
“Things Don’t Always Have to Be Grimm,” under the helm of Keith Eisenstadt, director of productions, will be a Zoom event of original monologues from beloved Grimm fairytale characters, scheduled for June. Playwrights range from elementary school students to adult.
Eisenstadt said, “We wanted to do production-level content, more so than just a quick production through Zoom. We wanted to produce something that would be individual monologues put together into a themed piece. The vision—creating together—this is going to be our first production within that motto. It’s about that collaboration. We are giving the individual performers not only the ability to perform what they want to, but to create the entire thing as well. We have 20 confirmed monologues. The ideas coming out of everyone are amazing.”
“The Penguin Project,” a theatre program for children with special needs that gives them the opportunity to be the stars of the show and build community completed “Peter Pan Jr.” right before the pandemic closed theaters. Paine keeps in touch with her young performers via Zoom.
“I see them Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Zoom for 30 minutes just to check in with them,” said Paine. “It gives them a chance to talk to each other and we have a theme every day like favorite movies or superhero. We have a karaoke Friday nights. We usually have between 15-20 people at any Zoom call.”
This summer, New Tampa Players is offering a virtual summer camp, June 15-26. There will be two Zoom sessions each weekday: one from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. and the other from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Camp is for ages 8-14 for a minimum of 8 campers and maximum of 12. Campers will learn everything from character development to costume-making and stage makeup.
“Our goal is to be a flexible as we possibly can, doing things that can happen pre-recorded, on Zoom, or can happen in the space if we get the go-ahead to do that,” said Paine.
“I’m excited to see where the shape of theatre goes in the future,” added Derek Baxter, artistic director. “I think as unfortunate as the situation is, it’s giving the opportunity to performance arts to broaden what our definition of performance arts and theatre has been and to really stand up and take ourselves out of the comfort zone. I’m hoping in a new world, we’ll redefine what theatre can mean to the average person.” newtampaplayers.org
Nine and Numb
The local improv theatre troop Nine and Numb has been doing videocasts called "At Home" to connect with their fans. They’ve created to episodes on their YouTube channel and have future episodes planned with different casts we've had over the past 20 years.
“We will be doing a live broadcast improv show on June 12th called "Live From Exile" that will be on Facebook Live and YouTube Live,” said founder Kelly Clow. nineandnumb.com
Outcast Theatre Collective
At the close of May, Outcast Theatre Collective Founders Clareann Despain and Coky Aquilera virtually presented “Stealthcare: Transphobia in Medicine,” a Forum Theatre piece developed using the techniques of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. This form of theatre invites the audience to engage in active problem solving around issues faced by members of marginalized communities. Follow their Facebook page for information on upcoming events.
“We’ve been working on adapting Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques which rely on heavy physicality and people being in a space to something that works over Zoom,” said Despain. “Our main concern is making theatre accessible for a variety of folk. The key to this whole thing is turning spectators into spec-actors to brainstorm on your feet, how do we address what people encounter in everyday life. It’s social justice theatre.”
Aquilera added, “We are excited as this will one of the first times we’ve been able to showcase this form of theatre. We like refer to these workshops as a crossfit for actors. It’s very improvisationally-based and has that social justice twist to it that is perfect for the type of theatre that we want to be representing.” facebook.com/OutcastTheatreCollective
Plant City Community Theatre
One of Tampa’s oldest community theatres, Plant City Community Theatre is working on virtual fundraisers and hopes to reopen in the fourth quarter.
Kelley Gustafson, board of managers said, “We are kind of at a standstill, but lucky enough to keep afloat during this pandemic. We’re hoping to open back up by November with our musical Urinetown. You can purchase tickets on our website. ” pceshows.com
Powerstories Theatre
Since April 7, to celebrate their 20th anniversary and to honor their mission statement of "staging true stories to open minds and hearts and inspire action worldwide," Powerstories Theatre has remained connected to their audience through the collection and showcasing of true stories, videos, artwork, photography, music and theatre performances on its virtual time capsule, positivelypowerstories.com.
"We are building something beautiful," founder Fran Powers said, "We cannot be very physically connected at this time, but we can be spiritually connected."
A 20-year Zoom Celebration is scheduled for the fall and the “SheVolution Festival” and other productions are pending.
The theatre will be offering virtual Girlstories Leadership Theatre July 6-17 which will culminate in the girls’ online evening performance of their true stories. Acting, Storytelling, Dance, Art and Music will all continue to be a part of this year’s program, but our Girlstories staff will connect with each participant using Zoom instead of in the theatre. They will have guest artists to join them every few days to share their stories of success.
“The two weeks will culminate in a virtual production of girls telling their personal stories in “Girls Who Dare” designed to reach a very large audience,” said Powers. “If you are a rising 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade young girl and are interested, please contact Fran Powers by e-mail (fran@powerstories.com). Our young girls returning from last year will be provided the first opportunity to register, but we are anticipating there will still be room for more girls.” powerstories.com
Rory Lawrence Productions
Rory Lawrence Productions has stay linked to their audience by reaching out via email, text messaging, and social media.
“It is definitely a challenge living in the era of COVID 19, especially for those of us who are involved in theatre which requires that we connect not only physically but also emotionally. So when there is a mandate for social distancing, it can be challenging to make those intimate connections,” said founder Rory Lawrence.
“There is a quote that says ‘Life becomes a celebration when friends keep in touch, so let’s celebrate our life by keeping in touch with each other’. Our audience is the main reason why we do what we do. When we step on the stage, there is an organic energy that is indescribable. It’s like we all are family for that moment. However, when you lose that connection or bond, it can affect us on so many levels. We stay in touch our audience to let them know we will surely be back.”
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Ruth Eckerd Hall reaches out to members and patrons throughout the week, keeping in contact through a variety of touchpoints. In addition to email and social media updates, their unique virtual content can be found on their website’s Be Together Soon page. They’ve offered blogs, contests, celebrity readings, even a virtual talent show. As a very special way to thank their supporters, Jim Brickman recently hosted a private concert for members and volunteers.
“We continue to look for ways to engage our artists with our audiences, including an upcoming virtual comedy series. Our educational programming this summer will be geared toward giving our more seasoned students a different experience auditioning and performing in a recording studio and we will increase the number of teaching artists sent to community centers, which have more space for social distancing,” said Susan Crockett, Ruth Eckerd Hall President & CEO. “We’re careful what we choose to do as we will not sacrifice the quality inherent in our mission. We know that virtual programming can never replace the live experience between artist and fan or student, and so we remain focused on providing that human encounter once again as soon as it’s feasible.”
Stageworks Theatre
To continue connecting with patrons, Stageworks regularly uploads new virtual content to their Youtube channel featuring Stageworks Theatre's Staycation Story Time (every Saturday @ 10:00AM) and Stageworks Actors Sing for You (every Saturday @ 3PM).
Stageworks also created a virtual acting workshop series via Zoom which filled almost immediately, implementing a “pay what you can” via their nonprofit donation link. Producing Artistic Director Karla Hartley and Education Director Dawn Truax teach teens and adults in the virtual "Nail That Audition!”
Hartley said, “Stageworks Theatre has been active during the Covid crisis. While awe are unfortunately unable to produce work in the theater itself? We have been providing content through our social media platforms and is developing a lineup of work that we can take out to the community. We have instituted online classes for adults and young people —audition workshop, drumming, drama. I am working on a plan for a text analysis that will help people breakdown a play and think like a director. I don’t think anyone know when they will open up for certain. The safety of audiences, staff and performers will be the guiding principle for Stageworks. The old adage ‘just because you can doesn’t mean you should’ is appropriate. We will move forward in a safe, fiscally responsible way.” stageworkstheatre.org youtube.com
Straz Center for the Performing Arts/Patel Conservatory
Straz Center has added a great a new section on their website called “The Show Must Go On.” They‘ve added instructional videos from our Patel Conservatory instructors, and encourage participation from the community in things like virtual sing-alongs and a virtual flash mob that the local community seems to be enjoying.
“We’ve launched “Tampa Total Request Live,” which gives local musicians the chance to play some great music, get out in front of the public and even make a tip or two,” said Summer Bohnenkamp, Vice president of marketing and programming at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. “We plan to continue that all summer as well as lean heavily into our “Arts Legacy Remix” program which showcases artists, veterans and others from around our community. And our staff meets regularly looking for new ideas and how to bring the arts to Tampa Bay in a new and virtual way.” strazcenter.org
SLT Productions
SLT stays in touch with their donors and patrons on a regular basis. They produced their first virtual Mother’s Day concert in May featuring songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and are currently working on a Tony’s Winners and Loser’s concert for June 7th since there are no Tony’s this year. They have several more virtual concerts planned for now, including a Fourth of July concert featuring patriotic songs from Musicals. Additional monthly concerts can be scheduled, depending on the length of the pandemic. The theater is also looking at producing virtual plays.
A virtual Gala is planned as a fundraiser in August.
“We’ve had a lot of fun doing this, and its really helped bring us all together as a family during this time. So many of our performers lost their jobs and its been hard for so many mentally, so we also use this time to check in with all of them on a regular basis to make sure they are doing ok. SLT was in rehearsals for In the Heights (ITH), which was to be our June production. When the pandemic started, we immediately got the cast on zoom and started rehearsals to see what worked and what didn’t. And no lie, zoom rehearsals are tough to use to rehearse a full-blown musical. As the pandemic and quarantine rules evolved, we realized we wouldn’t be able to produce ITH in June, so for now we have the cast working on their own and we check in with them every couple of weeks. ITH will be our first show once it is safe to perform live and with a full audience. We are really following the lead of Broadway as to when to reopen,” said president Cyndee A. Dornblaser. “The biggest loss during this time for everyone has been money and we are no different. Virtual concerts certainly don’t pay all our bills or cover the costs of our operating costs, like our warehouse where we store our props and costumes. We’ve been lucky so far, but our cash reserves are getting low, and making it through the summer will be tough. But SLT has been around for 61 years and we are committed to being around for another 61 years!” spanishlyrictheatre.com
Tampa Bay Theatre Festival
The 2020 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival scheduled for Labor Day weekend has been canceled.
“With Concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, and additional feelings of uncertainty that many are experiencing at this time, have led us to cancel the 2020 Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. It was a difficult decision to make, but we believe it is the best decision for this time. However, please know that this is not the end. Our goal is to provide a quality and safe experience for all festival attendees, and with that on our minds, we will be working on developing what may be a new way of work for the future. We thank each of you for your continued support, understanding, and patience. Until we meet again," said Rory Lawrence, founder. tampabaytheatrefestival.com
Theatre eXceptional and 4×6 FEST
Like many education programs, Theatre eXceptional has shifted their classes to an online forum, but when they did, discovered about 15% of their artists with disabilities do not have access to an internet abled device like a computer or tablet or even smart phone.
“We did a little research and found out this is a common problem among the disability community for a lot of reason – financial, educational, elderly parents with little tech experience, even health and safety (Caregivers often limit internet access because people with disabilities can be at high risk for being taken advantage of by online predators),” said Brianna Larson, founder. “We are starting a campaign to collect or purchase old smart phones and tablets to set up with the ZOOM app and distribute to students who are in need. This way, all our students have the opportunity and access to continue their classes and have a creative outlet during this time.”
For her annual 4×6 Fest, a 24-hour playwriting competition, Larson is sending a survey to former artists to see if there is an interest in taking it digital.
“If not we may take the summer off and I will use this time to put together the 4×6 Anthology of plays which is a project I have been dying to take on. So maybe this is the time for that.” bluebutterflyproductions.org
ThinkTank Theatre
In addition to the development of two original web series (Between Two Forks and the upcoming Spoiler Alert!) ThinkTank is heading into rehearsals for a brand new, fully staged Zoom production.
"It's been really exciting working with Zoom as a platform for performance instead of an obstacle," Ryan Bernie, associate artistic director. "Our young artists ensemble has been hard at work on this piece since November, and I'm thrilled with what we've been able to generate together." thinktanktheatretya.org
Tampa Fringe Festival
The annual uncensored international performing arts festival, Tampa International Fringe Festival decided early on to shift from an in-person festival to a digital offering, and have been spending time in quarantine refining their vision of what that might look like in the context of fringe, and in keeping with the feel and ethos of the festival, scheduled for July 23-August 2.
In an effort to support their community of artists, they are offering participants flat fees to guarantee something of an income in these uncertain times when artists are scrambling to present their work, largely on a donation basis, via various digital platforms. In addition, they are working with the local business community to ensure they have representation in their digital world and to continue in their ongoing commitment to bringing a focus to the Ybor City Historic District.
“This has meant envisioning a semi immersive online environment which highlights the cultural and historical elements so pregnant in Ybor, connecting us deeply with the local area and with the small business community with which we are so connected. We want to provide an experience that's sufficiently 'fringey' to enable us to bring the fringe to our audience despite the current constraints,” explained Festival Director, Will Glenn. “With the onset of the pandemic, we at Tampa Fringe were very aware of the need to take decisive steps, both on behalf of our audience and local community, as well as our national and international artists community. Many of our artists come to us from as far away as Japan and Australia, and navigating an ever changing landscape of airfare, international visa requirements, and festival dates is challenging in the best of times. In the era of global pandemic, these challenges are only exacerbated. For these reasons, we felt it was absolutely necessary for us to respond clearly and early to avoid unnecessary stress and expense on the part of our artists, many of whom rely on the financial gains of fringe for their livelihood.
"Fringe should be an unexpected delight – an experience of discovery and artfulness for our artists and local audiences alike, however we may encounter it. We're committed to protecting and presenting that to our community regardless of the challenges we may face, together and as individuals." tampafringe.org
Vulva Va-Voom Cabaret
Vulva Va-Voom DOES The Whole Festival (Revised Edition)" will be presented as part of the Tampa International Fringe Festival's online events.
“The script I wrote in January was "Vulva Va-Voom DOES The Whole Festival," wherein my sidekick and I have to perform everyone's shows for them because we have passed a virulent S.T.D. (skank flu) to the entire Fringe Festival community. The entire thing was—coincidentally—about being in trouble for making everyone sick. We shot and edited gorgeous pin-up photos with thermometers, kleenex, and comically oversized ice bags. It was hilarious! But given the content . . . It would be even more offensive than usual to try to stage the original script. I am rewriting a script that was time sensitive, and would now be even less politically correct to perform. It was written to make reference to events happening in the local performance community at the time . . . And it also wouldn't be well received in a post-Covid world,” said an organizer. “My onstage partner, drag king Tony Tesla, has been very actively generating online content. The drag/burlesque community has converted to live online performances, and he has joined a number of Pride events and other online shows. He is @KingTony.Tesla on Instagram, and both of us can be found by name on Facebook.” facebook.com/pg/VulvaVaVoom
Wordier Than Thou
Wordier Than Thou has been taking their story-time virtual with readings from local authors, tours of writers, readers, and leader in the community’s home libraries, and Facebook Live interviews with local small businesses called Tell Us About Your Quarantine, as well as live interviews and short readings with local writers about their high school years, Teenage Wasteland.
On June 6, founder Tiffany Razzano will be hosting a literary scavenger hunt where participants will have a set time to find literary references, book covers, or particular books, etc. During Pride Week, Wordier Than Thou will feature a Drag Queen Story Hour for kids. On July 11-12, the nonprofit will be hosting a 24-hour fundraiser entertainment project for their new publishing arm via a Facebook Live event.
“I’ve been trying to keep the programming as varied as possible. We ask people what are writing, reading, what’s keeping them engaged in the creative realm—the podcasts and music they’ve been listening to,” said Razzano. “We host a storytelling pros series open mic that, we’ve been doing in the real world for 8 years, and it’s how we got started. Now we do virtually, weekly on Thursdays and we’ve opened it up to welcome all forms of creative expression. We don’t want to leave anyone out, especially at a time like this. We’ve actually had music, comedy, and poetry. Whoever wants to join is welcome.” facebook.com/WordierThanThou
The Dalí Museum
In continued support of the health of the community, The Dalí Museum’s flagship Junior Docent Art Camp is going virtual this summer with Junior Docents Online: Storytelling with Dalí.
Suggested for both elementary and middle school students, ages 9-14, this week-long online camp introduces new ways to interpret and create art. Participants will become empowered to think independently about art and express their own thoughts in a fun and interactive environment.
Each week’s session will conclude with an online presentation. Students will showcase their Dalínian knowledge, and their own surreal art will be featured on the Museum’s website. Additionally, once it is safe for in-person group gatherings, participants will be welcomed to the Museum to present their unique interpretations of Dalí’s work in the galleries for their friends and family.
Supplies for the week are $50, which includes local delivery. The Museum respectfully requests donations in lieu of the standard additional tuition costs, as a pay-what-you-can option. Scholarships are also available.
Registration for the program can be found at TheDali.org/camp. For additional information, including scholarship availability, please contact Denisse De Leon, School Program Manager at ddeleon@thedali.org or 727-623-4754.
“This year’s focus is on storytelling. Gaining inspiration from the stories found in Dalí’s art, campers will learn the fundamentals of interpreting a painting. They will share their own compelling stories and gain a deeper understanding of the power of images,” said Denisse De Leon, School Program Manager. “Each day of the online camp will include lessons about Salvador Dalí, guided independent research, surreal art instruction and interaction with participating students in like age groups, via Zoom Pro, to ensure a safe learning environment. Enrollment is limited to ensure each camper receives focused instruction from the Dali Education team.”
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This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2020.