With the stage dark due to coronavirus, theatre goes online

Theatre companies go digital as they seek to adapt to COVID-19 lockdowns and support those in need. “It’s been devastating,” said Pam MacKinnon, who directed Toni Stone and also serves as the Artistic Director for the American Conservatory Theater. “At the heart of The Homebound’s mission is to allow people … to feel a little bit less alone, a little bit more connected in a time where we’re physically disconnected,” McMullen said. “We’re a mirror.” According to Sadoski, The Homebound Project aims “to discuss what the reality of this time is right now, to allow people a moment to breathe, but a moment to reflect, some laughter, but also some pathos … to be of service because, at the end of the day, that’s also our responsibility, not just as artists, but as members of this community – this human community.” While many wonder how much the coronavirus pandemic will affect live theatre, one of the most communal art forms, Sadoski has no doubt it will survive. “I recorded it so many times until a point to where, you know, my phone said there isn’t enough memory left.” The video series is called Everything Has An Ending – a title that is meant to strike an optimistic chord at a time when artists and audiences are longing to see the curtain finally fall on the coronavirus.