Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash
By Sarah Marino, Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Between COVID-19 disrupting club gatherings, normalized in-person classes, and even limiting the number of people in a room, Susquehanna has definitely had to adapt to changing how students are being students. One program that has most certainly had to drastically change their style of education is the Theatre Department.
Allison Steinert, a senior Music & Theatre Performance major from Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, has been working diligently to be able to pursue her passion of theater, despite the present obstacles.
After the students were sent home in March, theater classes were moved online indefinitely. Nonetheless, that led many theater and acting classes to “focus on getting experience acting on camera,” said Steinert.
“Our professors really geared us towards getting those skills.”
In her classes last semester, she had been filming individual videos or blogs to express her creativity, while also presenting the knowledge she has gained from online classes.
This semester, the Theatre Department will still be holding their season with a hybrid-twist. There will be actors and actresses on stage, physically distanced with masks, and some will be on Zoom, still in character and costume.
According to the department, the season kicks off with a performance of Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles and the Outside” on Oct. 1-3 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Steinert said that they have held all their rehearsals online, which also included taking their own measurements for their costumes at home and sending those into the costume department.
“We’re really doing it as if the whole thing could switch online, so there won’t be any setbacks if that happens,” Steinert assures.
The show already focuses thematically on elements of separation and isolation, so presenting them during the pandemic is certainly on-brand for this year’s situation.
Steinert said there’s even an international student currently in Nigeria that is still an active member of the shows, and they will still be happily sending his costume all the way there!
“The wonderful thing about theater is that we’re always adapting, and we’re all just so grateful to have this platform.”
The department will be selling tickets to their Zoom link, which gives “more of an extended outreach to audiences who couldn’t see us before,” Steinert said.
For tickets, call the University Box Office at 570-372-ARTS between noon and 3:00 PM Monday-Wednesday, and beginning September 21st, between noon and 5:00 PM Monday-Friday.
