“There’s no people like show people, they smile when they are low”.
Those lyrics made famous by Ethel Merman are as relevant now as they were nearly seventy years ago. Our theatre lights may be switched off and box offices closed, but there are still plenty of showbiz folk who, true to their standing, refuse to take the Coronavirus lockdown lying down.
Many artists and production companies have taken to online steaming in an effort to not only keep their heads above water, but to simply entertain! For Andrew Henry, Director of Sydney’s Red Line Productions, the innovative concept of a live play reading has found great success, drawing a worldwide audience and setting a precedent for further productions. It all began in April with a reading of Lyle Kessler’s black comedy Orphans.
Andrew Henry, Director of Sydney’s Red Line Productions
“I saw a pattern in our theatre audience that was really terrifying to be honest,” says Henry.
“You could really tell things were different. Around that time I retreated to my parent’s place for a few days, and it was then that the live streaming idea was born”, he says.
“I had the view that we could create the experience of live theatre. Obviously there wouldn’t be the usual strangers sitting next to you, or actors on a stage, but nonetheless I wanted to capture an ephemeral essence. It would be a ‘once only’ for people in isolation, where they could watch something special happening for the first time. Kind of like tuning in to a sporting event on television.”
“It was very confirming for us, to have ten thousand people watching.”
Orphans tells the story of two vagrant brothers living together, who come upon an unusual father figure, when one kidnaps Harold a local Chicago gangster. While at first their captive, Harold cleverly becomes the surrogate parental figure missing from their lives.
Alec Baldwin reprised his role of Henry from the Broadway production of Orphans
Taking part in the play reading were Judy Jerome (Tick Tock Sizzle) providing narration, Henry himself, as the violent Treat, Aaron Glenane (Picnic at Hanging Rock) played the younger Phillip, while Alec Baldwin reprised his role of Henry from Broadway. The four artists were linked online from their homes in New York, Melbourne and Sydney. Securing Baldwin was undoubtedly a great coup.
“Alec was awesome,” says Henry.
“He had a really great time and we’re in conversations about potentially doing something else further down the track. Everyone really enjoyed the experience, especially those watching from home. We had lovely messages from all over the world, from Denmark to Canada to New Zealand. There were beautiful comments explaining how it gave something pretty special during such a difficult time. That was very confirming for us, to have ten thousand people watch and sustain it. It was very cool indeed!”
“Alec had a really great time. We’re in conversations about potentially doing something else.”
Since the reading of Orphans, Henry has continued with other online readings, including last month’s Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph.
Online viewers prepare to watch the live stream of Orphans
“Having done the first event, I quickly made plans to do the second and third,” says Henry.
“We also started the theatre date hash tag, because I wanted to activate people. I assumed everyone was like me, wearing their sweat pants each day, so I encouraged people to dress up, and they did! We got wonderful pictures from people around the world dressed up for a night at the theatre. But what we also did, was bring theatre to places that don’t normally get to see it, like remote areas, nursing homes and to people with severe disabilities who don’t want to deal with crowds. Those positives made me want to do other readings. Gruesome Playground Injuries had Rose Byrne (Mrs America), Ewan Leslie (Fighting Season) and live music by John Butler. We not only had rock star-like actors, but an actual rock star!”
Andrew Henry
For Henry and other artists who have followed the road of online performance, there’s the big question of how theatre will be post Covid-19.
“I don’t know what the world will look like on the other side of all this,” says Henry. “But I do know that storytelling is the oldest trade in the world and that’s the business I’m in. We just need to weather this storm, and it will come good. If our play readings stand alone as one-off events, and I suspect they will, then they will be remembered as something we contributed in this era. It’s really cool that a little Australian theatre company was the first in the world to do a live stream reading. Let’s see what the next step is!”
For more: redlineproductions.com.au
