Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020 - 21

filmed performances of the Humana
Festival productions:
*W
here the Mountain Meets the
Sea by Jeff Augustin with music by
The Bengsons, directed by Joshua
Kahan Brody and featuring Allan
K. Washington, Nathan Hinton, and
Shaun and Abigail Bengson. This play
was commissioned by Actors Theatre.
*A
re You There? by Vivian Barnes,
Jonathan Norton, and Gab Reisman,
directed by Robert Barry Fleming,
commissioned by Actors Theatre
and performed by the 2019-2020
Professional Training Company.
Media Technologist Philip Allgeier
notes that while one production was
intentionally filmed for streaming, the
other had, fortunately, been recorded.
"We used a local production company
to shoot Where the Mountain Meets the
Sea. They set up a three-camera shoot
and captured the performance during a
run, and it was edited later," said Allgeier.
"The Are You There? recording was one
I had made on our opening night with
a single camera. The original intention
was for archival and review use only."

Talkbacks, discussions, and other material will be produced using a variety
of technologies, including Zoom, webcams, and other recordings from artists'
homes.
Audiences with tickets for cancelled
performances were able to apply the cost
of their physical ticket towards streaming costs, and tickets, starting at $15,
were also sold to new audience members. Melissa Hines, Director of Sales
and Audience Development, discussed
how the streaming service worked, "Our
developer, Surfcode, was great about
honoring the concessions granted to us
by the unions. I think we found a successful balance between ease of use for
the consumer without sacrificing privacy concerns. For each virtual ticket
purchased, we are able to provide a
unique, password-protected link that expires after you view the show, and cannot forward to another user after you've
watched it. It also utilizes technology
that 'cuts up' the file so that you can't
download it. The experience is seamless
for patrons; you can view on any device.
As we look to the future, we are excited

to continue to offer our digital content in
the safest way possible while we all stay
healthy at home."
Actors Theatre Direct will also feature free content, with a pay-what-youwish donation encouraged, on Actors
Theatre social media channels. A local
restaurant, Bearno's Pizza, is supporting audiences who wish to create a complete "dinner and show" experience at
home with a delivery or pickup special.
"We are committed to continuing our
mission while simultaneously creating
new and innovative ways to engage the
community during this unprecedented
time of uncertainty," said Erica Denise,
Actors Theatre director of learning and
creative engagement.

Alley Theatre

Rachel Applegate and Larisa Gawlik

In March, the Tony Award-winning
Alley Theatre in Houston cancelled the
production of 1984 for the health and
safety of the theatre's patrons, patrons'
families, volunteers, and staff. The Alley
was delighted to share the professionally filmed production of 1984 with its

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SPRING 2020 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

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Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2020

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