TheatreMcLean hits the screen

McLean’s fall plays will be virtual this year

DALIA FISHMAN ONLINE A&E EDITOR

With innovative virtual plays coming to computer screens this November, TheatreMcLean perfectly encapsulates the idea of theater constantly evolving.

They will be performing two shows— Cards of Fate and Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom.

“We are going to continue doing shows, but it’s going to be done in the virtual landscape,” TheatreMcLean director Phillip Reid said. “We will have fall productions like we would normally do, except instead of being on stage, they’ll be through Google Meets or [Blackboard Collaborate], and then broadcast on YouTube Live or Facebook Live.”

The first play, Cards of Fate, will be prerecorded. It will be available to watch on Nov. 19. Cards of Fate is a dark comedy about a game show that progressively has more and VIRTUAL REHEARSALS — Seniors Chloe Lahr and Ben Cudmore rehearse more sinister situations. In this production for Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom using special software. Both the main character is a girl named Nick. of TheatreMcLean’s fall plays will premiere in November. (Photo courtesy of

“She's on this game show, and if you Phillip Reid) win, you get a lot of cool prizes and something good happens to someone out show host. “We’re talking about what people their neighborhood, where they have to kill in the universe,” Reid said. “If you get the would do to win and where we draw the zombies that look an awful lot like their question wrong, you don't get any prizes and line and playing off of how artificial some parents. something bad happens to them.” people can be through the camera.” “It’s a commentary on virtual reality and

Cards of Fate may not be appropriate for The second play, Neighborhood 3: Requisition how parents and children [grow] more and younger audiences. of Doom, will be performed live and aired more apart as technology kind of divides us

“It gets spooky, man,” said junior Erin virtually on Nov. 20. It’s about a new video a little bit,” said senior Ben Cudmore, who Sharpe, who plays Cinnamon, the game game teenagers are playing that resembles is playing one of the lead roles. “As things progress between the virtual reality and our actual reality, it becomes almost unfamiliar which one is real.” Cards of Fate Nov. 19 Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom Nov. 20 Attendees will receive a link to the performances Purchase tickets at theatremclean.org starting Oct. 31 Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom also deals with themes that may be too mature for some viewers. Although the delivery of the play will be completely unprecedented for TheatreMcLean, the actors will all be performing off book, in full costume, just as they would in person. after purchasing tickets “Theater adapts. It is alive. It's always changing,” Cudmore said. “The best way for theater to stay alive is for audience members to come see these shows to encourage actors to keep going, keep pressing on, because we’re there to perform for them.”