Amid protests there are signs that some of us are in this together
It’s now been two months since I started working from home (and discovering some unexpected pleasure in it), but also two months of having no shows to review and trying to figure out how to spend my evenings.
I never deleted anything from my online calendar, so in the last few weeks I’ve been constantly reminded about what I might have been seeing — the world premiere of “Knoxville” at Asolo Repertory Theatre, a production of “Titanic” at the Manatee Players, the world premiere of Nate Jacobs’ “Ruby” at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and the drama “Blackbird” at Venice Theatre, among many other shows. They all were canceled (or postponed until next season) because of the coronavirus.
Instead, I have been looking for interesting theater-related programs online — like a marvelous 90th birthday salute to Stephen Sondheim — catching up with some TV shows I’ve missed, and watching more cable news than is good for my sanity.
I keep seeing two different worlds clashing on my screen. At one moment, there’s a public service announcement with government officials or celebrities encouraging us to stay home and stay strong because “we’re all in this together.”
But are we? Because those announcements are followed by images of armed protesters storming state capitols demanding to be freed of stay-at-home restrictions or angry shoppers taking out their frustrations about mask-wearing requirements on innocent store employees.
During World War II, people sacrificed for a common good. Today it seems more people are in it for themselves. I mean, what’s so horrible about wearing a mask to stop the virus from spreading? I understand the anger caused by lack of work and no income, but wearing a mask in public to protect yourself and others seems a small price to pay.
So while my fear of venturing out continues, I look for more positive signs, which I keep finding in the theater community that I have covered for so long. I’ve spent recent days talking to arts leaders who have been analyzing every detail that might allow them to reopen when larger groups of people are allowed to gather again. It looks like it will be a while.
I feel a sense of pride watching familiar theater artists — local performers and international stars alike — helping others by lending their names, voices and stories to a cause. Numerous online programs have come together to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts by The Actor’s Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Every week since theaters closed in March, local actors have been given a platform to share their talents through #TheatreLives, which has become an engaging showcase of songs built around different themes. The programs benefit area community theaters that have been shuttered during the pandemic.
And that same sense of giving permeated last weekend’s premiere of “Since You Got a Minute,” a collection of short plays by local writers and performed by area actors in their backyards or bedrooms as a benefit for the American Cancer Society. They represented the first original plays I’ve seen in more than two months.
I thank them all for providing a needed sense of calm and support and a touch of the theater and arts scene that I, and so many others, have been missing.
Please stay safe and be considerate of others. That really is the only way we can get through this together.
Contact Jay Handelman at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. Keep up with entertainment coverage at heraldtribune.com/arts. Follow me at facebook.com/jayhandelman, Twitter @jayhandelman and Instagram @jayhandelman
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May 17, 2020 at 06:14PM
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Behind the Scenes: Seeking a sense of togetherness - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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