Community, Readings, Theater Vs. Virus, virtual

Theater vs. COVID – 19 #5 Life is different, Going Virtual, and World Theater Day

New restrictions

As restrictions get tighter and some are in full quarantine there are many virtual new opportunities opening up in our lives. It is not clear when this will end. Some of us have lost work and some are working even harder. But we’re finding new ways to connect. New ways to live. We can only hope for this to end well and soon. 

Toll on life

Life is changing as we know it. And it can take its toll on us in many ways that we never expected. It is okay to take a moment to breath and realize that life is not the same. It is okay to cry. It is okay to think about how things were and how they are now. Will life go back to how it was before? Will we be stronger for it? Only time will tell. But today is World Theater Day and these are just some things happening in the world and in our own theatrical community. I hope that we can at least see these things and know that we are strong and we are together.

What artists are doing

Ken Davenport has been an inspiration for me. I recently joined his TheaterMakers Studio. He has started something that I think is brilliant. Everyone is home including artists. So he is speaking with them while they are in their homes and we are getting to see what they are up to. Try to get some inspiration from them and hear stories that we probably wouldn’t hear if this were not happening. You can even ask questions in the comments and they may get answered. Such a cool project right now. And he is doing this EVERY night at 8pm EDT. You can also see the videos after they went live in case you missed it right here.

Ken Davenport with Stephen Schwartz. The home phone rang during the conversation. Such a fun moment!

More vulnerable yet more connected

Any actor will probably tell you that being vulnerable on stage and open to the audience and your scene partners is one of the most powerful things you could do. Well now that we are in the COVID – 19 era many artists are even more vulnerable than ever. Jobs are gone, gigs can’t happen, and they’re stuck at home away from their audience. Or are they? Now that we can connect through different ways we can be closer to each other, more vulnerable, and great conversation and possibly greater collaboration can ensue. Just ask my friend Dale Boccaccio Honor. He was able to have a whole conversation with Alan Cummings himself. Not to mention Lin Manuel Miranda joined a twitter conversation with Israeli journalists.

Now’s the time to reach out to celebrities and fellow artists because we’re all in this together. All stuck at home. All need each other. 

What our community is doing

Our community is doing some amazing things from Shakespeare readings (TITR,JPT), book readings (Rivka Deray and growing), Storytelling (Annabelle Landgarten), Zoom Hangouts, Zoom rehearsals (Ben Bard Players, CBDB Productions, Israel Musicals), and more. We’ll keep each other entertained, strong, and together.

For when the dust settles we will know that…

ART is essential

Jennifer Smolos,  The Dean of School of Visual & Performing Arts and the Director of Summer Programs at American Academy of Dramatic Arts who I took a three week musical theater course with and was my voice teacher for some time shared one of the best quotes I have seen in the past few weeks.. Remember We are Essential and we will be there stronger than ever.

And from the words of Ken Davenport

#Staysafestayhealthystayhome #worldtheatreday

Share your written work here? Have any other ideas to weather this virus? Let us know @ jerusalemenglishtheater@gmail.com

Community, Guest post

Should I bring my kids to see Shakespeare?

By Natan Skop, producer and actor for Theater in the Rough

Photo: Edward Beili

Should I bring my kids to Measure for Measure?

Actually, I get that question every year, whatever play we’re doing! And I appreciate it when people ask.

When we took on Measure for Measure this year, we knew the show had some complicated themes and plot points, like many Shakespearean plays. In fact, I can’t think of a single play by Shakespeare that doesn’t have anything potentially provocative, whether it’s a severed head, a sword fight, or sexual exploitation.

And I know Shakespeare isn’t alone. Any play that gets us interested enough to put it on is going to be complex, with things that make us squirm and pull our interest. That’s natural after all, because the only stories worth telling are the ones that reflect life around us, and life sure is full of things we’d rather edit out. And it’s natural that we want to protect children and other people we feel responsible for and at least let them skip the bits that make us feel uncomfortable. 

Cast of Measure for Measure: in motion. Photo: Yitz Woolf, Costumes: Bayla Lewis, Design: Jen Klor

Like every year, we’re working to present a playful and dramatic performance that will remain suitable for all ages in a public space. Everyone gets something different from watching a play, and we believe that it’s important to create conversation on every level about what people take in, and to encourage asking questions and exploration.

IPresenting family-friendly theater raises a lot of questions. What kind of family? Is this for families only? Does family really mean just kids, or adults too? What ages is this suitable for? And what’s considered friendly? How do you decide that?

Questions are great! As actors, directors and theater-makers, we deal with questions all the time. How should I say that line? How should I play that role? We believe that meaningful theater is about having a conversation based on questions, where we can research, discuss and try out different answers, together. We argue our way through the rehearsal process and bicker our way onstage. But through our conversations, we’re able to delve deeply into our personal connections to the characters and to ourselves, and it’s important to be able to share that with the audience as much as possible.

And it’s important for the audience to have questions, too! Not only did you like the show or not, but what choices did you like and why? How do the things you see onstage make you feel and what do they make you think about? Specifically this year, I hope that ideas about the critique of power and authority, questions about mercy and justice, dilemmas about morality and faith, and conversations about consent and physicality will be something that anyone, including kids can relate to before, during or after they watch the play. 

Moreover, I think these questions are more relevant for younger audience members, as they reflect the world that kids are growing up in.

We’re taking these issues and our audience’s engagement with them seriously. On August 18th, 22nd and 26th, we’re proud to offer preshow workshops for kids and adults. We’ve worked to develop age-appropriate materials suitable for each age group to let participants get to know and think about the play in advance, as well as just having fun outside! We’re lucky to have a team of experienced educators to facilitate.

Photo: Merav Blum

And if you’re curious to just sit down and talk about the play before you see it, we have a free preshow discussion group available, as well as a special evening exploring Measure for Measure and the Talmud on August 20th!

But we know not everyone can come those nights, so I’m attaching here a link to our preparation packet for younger audiences with material taken from our program, including a synopsis of the play, questions to think about during the show and pictures of the actors and characters.


I hope to see you at the show! It’s totally free with a suggested donation, so you can always come by and see what you think. I’ve been going to see Shakespeare since I was 4 years old, and I haven’t regretted a single play I’ve seen. At the end of the day, each person has to decide for themselves what they enjoy.

It’s ok if you don’t agree with the choices we’ve made onstage, it’s only one possible avenue of interpretation. I’d love to hear what you think after the show and am looking forward to many further discussions. And I’d love to hear any thoughts or challenges you have in presenting theater for the whole family.

Natan Skop
Producer, Theater in the Rough

Playing “Angelo” in Measure for Measure: in motion
Free, August 14-27 in Bloomfield Park, Jerusalem