Several theaters in the San Diego region have recorded shows with actors on real sets on real stages. But presenting a production live over the Internet is something much more challenging.
And necessary to reach patrons during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
OnStage Playhouse, Chula Vista’s intimate community theater, is the first theater to present four weeks of live streaming through its current production of “All in the Timing” by American playwright David Ives.
Artistic director James P. Darvas didn’t want to “make a film” per se. He wanted to provide patrons with as close to a theatrical experience as possible, which meant “live” action. Due to the nature of live theater that meant different each night.
OnStage’s current show runs through Nov. 7 with performances at 8 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The production can be accessed through the theater’s website at www.onstageplayhouse.org. Tickets are $30 per show and can be purchased directly at www.stellartickets.com/events/onstage-playhouse/all-in-the-timing-a-comic-play-in-6-one-acts.
Of course, there were obvious technical challenges to overcome.
The theater had to change Internet providers to ensure enough bandwidth to upload streaming data. The changeover was expensive, about $400 per month to create a smooth stream.
“It was not a deal-breaker, but it did take our breath away for a bit,” admitted Ashley Gardner, who serves as the theater’s vice president/marketing director. “It’s a risk but one we are willing to take. The little theater that could … that’s us.
“The actors actually find themselves less nervous without an audience there.”
Currently, only one camera is used. The set has been condensed to a third of the stage and one camera allows the viewer to watch what they want, as one would from a theater seat, rather than an editor or camera director choosing which shots/closeups to cut to.
The one camera set-up was obviously simpler for a first attempt. Gardner said the theater may try a second camera at some point in its next venture.
OnStage’s novel venture is drawing numbers.
“People are buying tickets,” Gardner said. “Many purchase their seats just minutes before the show, which is interesting. We are just one-third in the run, so will have a better idea of the monetary success at the end. The actors are thrilled to be working their craft again as are the crew behind the scenes. So that alone is a success.”
Due to safety protocols, actors wear face masks and plastic dividers are used to help bring the production to life.
The theater is conducting testing and social distancing. No more than two actors are usually on stage at one time.
“There are Plexiglas partitions which seem to add to the ‘other worldly’ effect of the set which is Escher-like,” Gardner said. “We are also considering producing with actors who are already married or living together. There are quite a few talented couples we could engage. The masks alone are most creative and effective.”
It may be possible in the future for patrons to purchase a favorite play from past productions.
“We are considering asking for the rights to record and offer at a pay per view on demand,” Gardner said. “We don’t know the cost of that license at the moment, but we are considering it.”
More surprises could be in the offing as the theater company has requested space from the City of Chula Vista to produce plays in an outdoor setting.
“All in the Timing” is a collection of six one-act plays that were first performed in 1993 with a revival in 2013. Ives, known for his Tony Award-nominated play “Venus in Fur,” displays a gentle, wacky sense of fun that overlays his dazzling skill with wordplay.
The world according to Ives is a very odd place, and his plays constitute a virtual stress test of the English language — and of the audience’s capacity for “disorientation and delight ” where the simplest desires are hilariously thwarted.
Darvas, with a keen eye for the current climate, takes this “very odd place” into the future.
“I want to play with two specific things for this production,” Darvas explained. “One, we are currently living in a surreal environment and two, this play is extremely far from reality.
“This play is also rather dated so I made this choice to give a new OnStage Playhouse audience an evening of laughter that reflects our current situation. The piece is not political, not edgy, and doesn’t really fit with (the theater’s) new direction. However, it can be visually stunning and very interesting. The show has been produced in San Diego a handful of times in the last decade, I want to make sure we do our best to have a fresh perspective on the piece. I’m confident that we can achieve this concept through the environment we create through set, lighting, costumes, and make up.”
The production format dictates an intimate setting.
In Act 1, “Sure Thing,” two people meet in a cafe and find their way through a conversational minefield as an offstage bell interrupts their false starts, gaffes, and faux pas on the way to falling in love.
Bill: Aaron Lugo
Betty: Sandra Ruiz
Meanwhile, “Words, Words, Words” (Act 2) recalls the philosophical adage that three monkeys — Milton, Swift and Kafka — typing into infinity will sooner or later produce “Hamlet” and asks: What would monkeys talk about at their typewriters?
Milton: Devin Wade
Kafka: Emily Candia
Swift: John Wells III
“The Universal Language” (Act 3) brings together Dawn, a young woman with a stutter, and Don, the creator and teacher of Unamunda, a wild comic language. Their lesson sends them off into a dazzling display of hysterical verbal pyrotechnics — and, of course, true love.
Dawn: Holly Stephenson
Don: Markuz Rodriguez
Young Man: Aaron Lugo
“Variations on the Death of Trotsky” (Act 4) presents the Russian revolutionary on the day of his demise, desperately trying to cope with the mountain-climber’s axe he’s discovered in his head.
Trotsky: John Wells III
Mrs. Trotsky: Sandra Ruiz
Ramon: Aaron Lugo
In “The Philadelphia” (Act 5) a young man in a restaurant has fallen into a “Philadelphia,” a Twilight Zone-like state in which he cannot get anything he asks for.
Al: Devin Wade
Waitress: Emily Candia
Mark: Markuz Rodriguez
“Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” (Act 6) is a parodic musical vignette in trademark Glassian style, with the celebrated composer having a moment of existential crisis in a bakery.
First Woman: Holly Stephenson
Second Woman: Sandra Ruiz
Baker: Devin Wade
Philip Glass: John Wells III
For more information, contact OnStage Playhouse at (619) 422-7787 or email info@onstageplayhouse.org. OnStage Playhouse is also on Facebook.
