As COVID- 19 makes it dangerous to see a play in an actual theatre, ABAC’s Baldwin Players plan on bringing the theatre experience to the virtual world. Due to ABAC’s reopening plan. All live theatre performances were prohibited for safety.
The Theatre company will be performing a “Tribute to the 1940s Radio Drama,” that will be recorded and made into a video production. “As the Director of the Baldwin Players, I looked around for something that “fit” our current situation, and I realized that today, like in the war years of the 1940s, Americans are looking for entertainment that comes to them, instead of venturing out into the pandemic,” said Dr. Brian Ray, a professor of English and Theatre at ABAC. The COVID-19 Pandemic previously canceled their planned production of the musical, “The Spitfire Grill”.
The cast will feature current and former ABAC students and staff with some filling multiple roles in the production. The cast includes Jessica Wade, ABAC biology lab coordinator, Craig Wells, former ABAC student, Alena Norton, ABAC graduate, Roderick Baisden, ABAC general studies major with a pathway in theatre, Dr. Doug Waid, retired ABAC professor, and Dr. Elizabeth Medley, current ABAC assistant professor. Auditions were held virtually and in-person.
“This option still allows the Baldwin Players the opportunity to prepare for a live production even though it will have to be shared with our audience via video,” said Ray “Most of the goals that the Baldwin Players have for live theatre production will still be possible in this format, though it lacks the direct communication between performers and the audience of a live performance.”
An exact date or play has yet to be announced. The performance is planned for this fall and will be recorded for later viewing.
