As news of a novel, highly contagious coronavirus named COVID-19 started spreading throughout Europe in February, New Yorkers watched in horror. Then on March 1st, New York City reported its first case of COVID-19. As the world entered into a global pandemic, we started receiving announcements from museums and restaurants notifying us of temporary closures. Events were canceled. European countries started closing their borders. And then on March 12th, Broadway shut down. We didn’t know it then, but the world as we knew it wouldn’t be the same.
During the pandemic, limiting physical contact is key, so everything went virtual, including theater. Presented by Source Material, In These Uncertain Times is a virtual performance piece created specifically for Zoom. A truly Chekhovian performance, the cast grieves for past theater life while paying homage to theater itself. I found myself laughing pretty hard during a few scenes. The cast acted out many typical Zoom calls most of us have been experiencing since this all started. The excessive drinking, crying, eating, roommate video bombs, meltdowns and embarrassing moments are all caught on camera. I also found the coronavirus meme collages comforting, as well. Relatable, sad, and comical, In These Uncertain Times not only showcases how those in theater are coping during quarantine, but how we all are.
The virtual performance is directed by Samantha Shay and features six talented cast members, including James Cowan (Into the Fog with Source Material), Miles Hartfelder (Streetcar Named Desire with director James Franco), Annelise Lawson* (Babes In The Woods at Signature Theatre), Stephanie Regina* (The White Album at BAM; CasablancaBox at HERE), Raven Scott (Scorpion on CBS), Victoria Sendra (Ivo Van Hove’s Network on Broadway), and Grace Tiso (Big Time Adolescence at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival). Performances take place on Saturday, August 1 at 7pm EST/4pm PST, and Sunday, August 2 at 2pm EST/11am PST. Admission is a sliding scale donation of $10-$25. Tickets are available for advance purchase at www.sourcematerialcollective.com. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes, with no intermission.
