Unreal Tales for Unreal Times
I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first theatrical performance in the COVID-19 era, Theatre 3’s “It Came from Theatre 3” presented via streaming on their website. This was my first opportunity to study whether it’s possible to transform an essentially live, communal art form to something distinct from its far more developed offspring: television. A series of wide-angle shots of actors in solo-scenes would have been a passable solution to stagecraft in 2020, and devotees of Theatre 3 would surely have tuned in. What’s the point of teletheatre, however, when we already have television? “It Came from Theatre 3” answers the question creatively, embracing the strengths of its new medium.
It is no simple task to safely make communal art in the middle of a global pandemic. The directors, Christie Vela and Jeffery Schmidt, did the obvious by prioritizing the safety of their actors and crew. The result was theatre in the time of COVID, presented in full consciousness of the difficulties and constraints of our given moment.
Written and adapted by local playwrights (Jonathan Norton, Blake Hackler, Nicole Neely, and The Drama Club), this production is comprised of a series of four vignettes for Halloween and knit together with narration from Vela and Schmidt. I cannot say enough good things about the props (Sarah Barnes), lighting (Maxim Overton), costume (Christie Vela), and scenic design (Jeffrey Schmidt) throughout this production. Each element works to evoke whimsy, terror, and disgust in turn. Though each scene clearly features only one actor at a time, these vignettes are not monologues. Intimate scenes between characters are accomplished through editing magic and, in most cases, are seamless. Far from the slap-dash nature of archival footage, this production kept my eyes glued to the screen from beginning to end.
Two heavier vignettes bookend this series of 20-minute stories, first “The Loss of Jane,” an exceptionally creepy tale that takes clear inspiration from “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Ben Stegmair (John) and Francine Gonzalez (Jane) shine as a couple newly moved to a sparse apartment, where Jane begins her housewifely convalescence as John goes to work outside the home. Gonzalez should be commended for her outstanding portrayal of a woman slowly losing her mind in enforced isolation--truly a halloween tale for our times. Stegmair’s very believable John is sure to captivate with every harsh and gentle word spoken.
“Bloody Mary” and “The Old Woman in the Wood” are both shot playfully against a greenscreen. The former re-imagines Mary Magdalene (Lydia Mackey) as a vengeful follower of post-crucifixion Jesus and features as much gore as one could hope for from any zombie movie. The latter uses, to my delight, cleverly designed puppets made from the kind of discarded items you’re likely to find in your own quarantine habitat.
Finally, “Doctor Diablo” showcases the exceptional talent of Lydia Mackey (Marla Dove) opposite Gerard Taylor who delightfully brings to life the title character. In it, Marla, an anti-masker and general COVID-19 ne’er-do-well, finds herself face to face with Dr. Diablo, a real-or-imagined, Chucky-style menace bent on spreading plague and misery. A just-desserts[?] tale that could only have been written in 2020’s United States of ‘Murica--I sighed, laughed, gagged, and worried over this startling vignette.
This production purports to be Halloween fun and a little bit of spook, intended to break up the monotony of socially-distant life and give former theatre-goers something to do. Instead, it does something much more interesting. Good horror is not zombie movies and unrealistic slasher flicks; on the contrary, good horror points the lens back on ourselves, taking us from the familiar to the believably uncanny. These vignettes explore isolation, loss, and what happens when we’re overwhelmed by them. Such a theme is enough to give any of us the chills.
Go now and buy your tickets to watch this production, which runs through November 1st online. If it’s your first time checking out a streamed event (how have you held out this long???), don’t worry, Box Office Manager Wesley Farnsworth has you covered. I chromecasted this show from my computer to my TV and paused it to take cookies out of the oven halfway through--what a way to enjoy theatre! So move your dog off of your favorite spot on the couch, find a comfy blanket, and join Vela and Schmidt for a glass of doordash-delivered wine while you enjoy this spooky break from real life just in time for Halloween.
Photo credit: Jeffery Schmidt
Photo credit: Jeffery Schmidt
Photo credit: Jeffery Schmidt
