AAA When the lights of Broadway went dark at 5 p.m. on March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, no-one knew how long or how intensely theater would be missed. Today, almost 15 months later, Brooklyn College’s theater programs are still figuring out new and unique ways to recreate the magic of stage, albeit under intensely different circumstances. From performances at the landmark Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts, to graduate thesis events at venues across New York City, our Department of Theater has commanded the stage, from lighting design, accompanying music, set production, and costume creation—and, of course, our actors. Remember Uncle Vanya on stage in the Buchwald Theater in 2018? What about Act A Lady, presented at off-off-Broadway’s Connelly Theater in October 2017? But, that was then. Throughout the pandemic, the department has showcased multiple full-length and short plays during virtual seasons. The switch to a streaming format meant that additional time and resources was required for post-production, as well as virtual rehearsals and producing. In some cases, parts were recorded remotely and then ”stitched together“ for a seamless Zoom production. Free tickets were offered online for the streaming showtimes. The results have been nothing short of impressive. While we’re all anxious to get back to the stage—in person—virtual theater is our now, and we’re OK with that too. Brooklyn College’s Theater Department staged Act a Lady, off-off Broadway at the Connelly Theater in October 2017. The play is set in a Prohibition-era small town, where men, looking to put on a play, blur gender lines and question identity. Credit: Craig Stokle Anton Chekov’s classic Uncle Vanya at the Don Buchwald Theater in the Leonard and Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts, November 2018. Credit: Craig Stokle William Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale at the Don Buchwald Theater in February 2020 was one of the last live performances at Brooklyn College before the pandemic shutdown. Credit: Craig Stokle Virtual play Derecho from November 2020 by Noelle Viñas. Directed by Estefanía Fadul. Credit: Craig Stokle Just a Game by Katie Murphy and directed by Colleen Morgen, part of the Brooklyn College Theater Department’s virtual 10-Minute Play Festival in March 2021. Credit: Craig Stokle Muse Me by the Devised by the Myths and Memes Ensemble at Brooklyn College. Directed by Zachary Tomlinson in March 2021. Credit: Craig Stokle Post-Its (Notes on a Marriage) by Paul Dooley and Winnie Holzman. Directed by Michela Arlia. part of the Brooklyn College Theater Department’s virtual 10-Minute Play Festival in March 2021. Joan of Arkansas by Sheri Wilner, directed by Zachary Diamond, one of seven short virtual plays in the 10-Minute Play Festival. The works were chosen and directed by undergraduate theater students mostly from the B.A. and B.F.A. theater programs. Credit: Craig Stokle
