ON STAGE
Ginger Mouton, Kalan Bonnette and Aaron McClendon perform in LU’s production of “The Good Doctor” in March 2021. Courtesy photo.
‘Adapting: A Continuing Performance’ Performing arts face challenges without being face-to-face Story by Tim Cohrs PAGE 9 • SPRING 2021
“Adapt” is defined as “to make fit, often by modification,” according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. This word perfectly describes 2020, going into 2021, as the world has had to adapt in every way possible. Lamar University is no exception. On March 12, 2020, the university shut down, except for on-campus necessities such as the dining hall and residence halls, and moved all classes online.
This included performance-based programs, such as theater, music, band and dance, which rely on meeting in large groups, using enclosed spaces, having live audiences and, sometimes, not being able to socially distance. These departments have had to adapt their art forms to fit the changing world — whether it be at the start of the pandemic when the world entered lockdown, or when the world is slowly starting to ease restrictions.
SHUTTING DOWN James Han, LU associate professor and director of choral activities in the Mary Morgan Moore department of music, said the scale of the pandemic took everyone by surprise. “We didn’t know how it’s going to impact our class setting,” he said. “As vocal-
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