Get Out of the Way and Make Time.
I closed a show a few months ago and have only now found some time to process that event. That, and many continued discussions with like-minded artists also working within streaming and multi-media platforms.
My collective, Dancing Monkey Laboratories, produced a ‘hybrid’ performance; a live in-person audience, as well as a live-streamed audience. Both live, both given equal weight, or so we thought. We were almost successful, but, luckily for us, the stream was embraced and reviewed (shout out to Ricky and Dane Young-Howze – @rndyounghowze – for really getting what we were attempting) and in some ways, outshined the in-person version. But…
This is where we are still not where we need to be – personally and as a community. Theatre directors are a proud bunch. Even the humblest among us believes they know what they’re doing most of the time. We can be very efficient and focused on the tasks at hand, working with designers and actors and imagining the playing space and how the audience might receive the work. It’s a lot, directing is tough, but, if you’ve done it a few times, you start to find processes and tools to accomplish all this.
Now, throw in an entirely different, not completely separate, but different delivery system and here lies the problem. The director, still basically in charge, imagines that what they have created for the stage will easily translate. That they know what to do. We. Don’t. We are learning, sure, but what we need to do is MAKE TIME for the stream/film artists, yes, artists, to find their shots, discover looks, and create an intention to send into people computers. For our show, we decided early on to give the different audiences their own identities and this helped us decide certain situations and created a new way to talk through the work.
As repeated a few times in the manifesto and addendums, the streaming audience needs a reason to keep watching (if they are not related to the cast, and even then), they need to know that what they are watching is for them and not just a ‘value-add’, one or two-camera set up with no change to the lighting or blocking.
The stream needs its own director, then you collaborate, you adjust – lighting levels for the camera, shifting blocking to create a better look, working your sound to capture different moments and even how costumes might fall on the performers. The production needs to make time in the rehearsal process to find these things, organically, artistically, and not just to solve a problem. The streaming audience doesn’t want to watch a solved problem. In our most recent show SUBLIMITY – a love supreme, we made some time, but not enough, and that was for a few factors, BUT, we chose to create a hybrid event and we needed to do better at organizing that. I would argue, that an entire week of rehearsals should be dedicated to the live stream, and the director needs to get out of the way a little. We need to make room for that vision to emerge and not let your stream-team© feel like they can’t ask questions or stop a run or re-imagine the live blocking.
Will this add to budgets – yes, because we’re adding an entirely separate show on top. So, think about this when you want to live-stream your show. First, ask why, then make sure you are treating it with the same focus and dedication with which you are creating the in-person show. Both need to be considered as if they are the principal production. This is important to remember if we, as a community, wish to foster, encourage and grow a live-streaming audience.
Make time – and get out of the way.
DANCING MONKEYS LABORATORIES 