Theater in the time of Quarantine

Tickets are free!

If audiences can’t go to the theater, than the theater will go to the audiences! While quarantine measures have forced theaters to close, many theater groups and companies have found ways to bring the experience of live performances to audiences. Theater companies like the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Metropolitan Opera, and English National Ballet are now making performances available to audiences for free via streaming services.

This is a rare opportunity to catch performances you won’t find on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Director Simon Godwin’s wonderfully funny production of Twelfth Night (National Theatre), choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s evocative Frida Kahlo inspired ballet Broken Wings (English National Ballet), playwright Nick Dear’s haunting adaptation of  Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (National Theatre), and Jonathan Miller’s stylish production Of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Metropolitan Opera), are just a few of the gems that have recently been made available to stream.

One of the joys of watching these performances is getting to see some favorite actors take on unique and unexpected roles; Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Benedict Cumberbatch, for instance, is remarkable in the role of Frankenstein’s creature, and English comedian Tamsin Greig of Black Books fame as the re-imagined character Malvolia in Twelfth Night is wildly funny.

The biggest pleasure of these performances, however, is the way they can connect you to the experience of live theater. The camera pans to the theaters’ interior and audience give you a sense of being gathered with the audience to watch the performances—a wonderful way of feeling connected to others as we shelter in place and practice social distancing.

Because the performances stream for a limited it’s best to check the websites for listings and schedules:

National Theatre’s at   https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/nt-at-home

English National Ballet at   https://www.ballet.org.uk/

Shakespeare’s Globe at https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/watch/

Metropolitan Opera at https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/

Tune in and enjoy, the “tickets” are free and your seats are waiting!