SALEM — “The show must go on” is a well-worn phrase in the theater world. But during the coronavirus pandemic, that’s easier said than done.
The Salem State Theater Department came up with an innovative way to present its production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Students and faculty filmed a run-through of the comedy about one month before opening night. It was quite an undertaking, and quite a success according to director Bill Cunningham, a professor of Theater and Speech Communication.
“With limited set, lights, sound and costumes, our student actors, without a tech rehearsal or having ever run the show from beginning to end, displayed the true spirit of theater. They were phenomenal, and they now know that they can execute when the chips are down,” said Cunningham.
The video is available for viewing here: https://vimeo.com/channels/MuchAdo. “Shakespeare was alive during a pandemic. He survived the Bubonic Plague in 1606,” said Cunningham. “Theaters were closed, large gatherings were forbidden and, well, people stayed home.
“In 2020, this video shows we can still connect while being apart.”
The show was to open April 9, and the cast was selected back in December. Initial read-throughs of the scripts took place in January, and rehearsals took place five nights a week in four-hour blocks throughout February and early March.
Cunningham put a “Mamma Mia”-like spin on Shakespeare’s joyous comedy about two couples headed to the altar despite numerous misunderstandings. “Shakespeare set it in Italy. That’s a nice place, so we set those destination weddings at a Tuscany estate.”
There’s a lot of modern music — DJ wedding reception favorites — in the show, and the entire cast dances and sings Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” in the spirited finale.
The rapid spread of COVID-19 got Cunningham and staff thinking that the show might never be performed live. They discussed options. Adding to the pressure: The university’s spring recess was March 14-20, and students would be off-campus and heading home.
“That Monday (March 9), the whole COVID-19 thing went bad, really bad in one day. Our office manager and I started thinking about a Plan B; we decided to film the show,” said Cunningham.
“On Tuesday (March 10), it started to feel like (the university and the show) would be shut down. ‘We’ve done all this work. How can I tell the students all their work was done for nothing?’ we said. I asked the stage manager ‘Can we film this so the students at least have something?’ … so we started that process.
“Our students had just started choreographing the dances under the pressure to film and document the show when it became evident we would not be able to present it on stage.
“On Wednesday (March 11), about a month before our opening, we let everyone know we would start filming at 5:30 that night, the first half. The second half we would film Thursday. At about 12:30 we discussed ‘What can we do with costumes?’ The stage managers, who are students, and faculty pondered ‘What can we do in four hours?’ We’d never done the full show,” said Cunningham.
The production team put railings up and did an amazing amount of work on the set. Costumes were made.
Social distancing had begun, so about 60 “audience members” were rounded up to watch the action on stage during filming. They were seated far apart in the Sophia Gordon Center For Creative and Performing Arts on campus.
It went off without a hitch.
Cunningham got emotional recalling the remarkable achievement pulled off by the students. “Those four days happened in real time,” he said. “They did it. We all knew how hard the students had worked. The actors were psyched to do it. Remember, no tech rehearsals had taken place. The poor stage managers … We were doing it blind. That’s not supposed to happen. But they were amazing and were able to manage it.
“We were about to go on spring break, and I knew we weren’t coming back to campus. I just knew. COVID-19 was spreading. Students asked us ‘Do you think we’ll be able to do the show?’ I had to be honest. We could not bring people into the theater and take risks if it was not safe. Then, we all got a text during rehearsal that students had to get all stuff out of their dorms. Seniors knew they might never see one another again. There were a lot of tears.
“I’m very proud of what we did. It’s a shame people won’t get a chance to see the show with full costumes and sets. The faculty and students got creative with problem solving. The stage managers were under the gun. We toasted after the filming. ‘You hated me when I said we were doing the whole show. But you did it,’ I said. The actors knew they could do it and they executed. Wow! It’s all part of the teaching experience at Salem State. You never know how you’ll react when the chips are down. Every person rose to the occasion.”
“Theater is a communal experience, something we can all share together. We take it for granted. Face to face interaction, that’s what we’re all craving right now,” said Cunningham.
SSU professors are teaching classes via Zoom these days. Auditions and casting for the fall productions are being done now, virtually of course. “But none of us know what to expect this fall. We’ll come up with Plan A, B and C and be ready for whatever happens,” Cunningham said.
In addition to the “Much Ado About Nothing” video, Salem State’s Center for the Arts plans to host additional virtual content from its creative and performing arts departments on its Vimeo channel throughout the pandemic.
Bill Brotherton can be reached at [email protected].
