By PHILLIP JORDAN
All stories are, at their core, driven by conflict. “Someone is always in pursuit of something and something else is always in their way,” says Laura Flanagan, head of voice and associate professor of theatre practice at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. “That’s a universal truth of theatre. You want something and you can’t have it.” and faculty physically separated from the stage — and each other — during the COVID-19 pandemic, that universal truth is more acute than ever. TODAY, WITH STUDENTS
Photo by Victoria Quirk on Unsplash
“In the virtual space, that conflict is ever present,” Flanagan says. “You’re trying to connect with someone that you literally can’t connect with. We’re not getting what we want. It’s a hard truth and it’s emotionally taxing. But for theatre makers — and actors, especially — it gives you this very palpable affirmation of the dramatic experience. And a great challenge to confront.” Since March 2020, the School’s faculty and students have met this challenge head-on, devising countless innovations for teaching and learning the dramatic arts within a very
novel context. Classes and showcases have transformed online. Production and design students have learned to create a physical space from their virtual environment. Actors and directors have invented ways to pass an object, tie up a suspect and fight a foe — from one Zoom screen to the next. “We’re trailblazers all over again,” says Vice Dean Lori Ray Fisher. “We’re finding new ways to use theatre to tell social stories. We’re reexamining our art and why we fell in love with it in the first place. In the end, what we’re doing now is the same as the Greeks did thousands of years ago. Theatre is a form of expression. No matter where or how it takes place, we’re still using theatre and the dramatic arts to reflect our world and tell our stories.” [ C ONTINUE D ]
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