Zoom – Page 2 – Jerusalem English Theater Community

While trying to be up to date with all the amazing virtual, live, and recorded theatrical goings on we’ve been involved with quite a few.

Check out the JET Homepage for updates to different virtual theatrical events all over the world. https://wwww.jetcommunity.org

We had a very successful reading of “Paradise” by Yasmine Beverly Rana with the author herself. The play was conceived by Yasmine Beverly Rana during Hurricane Katrina and still feels very appropriate in the “social distancing” era. Yasmine and I had met before in 2014 after I saw her play “Blood Sky” at Terry Schreiber Studios but never imagined we would meet again like this.

These were some of the things that I took away from the connection that was made between Yasmine and I during this time. Art is essential, storytelling is essential, and now is the perfect time for artists, writers, actors, creators to create and share. Stay Home, stay safe, and connect.

Check out Yasmine’s website here and about her and her plays here

We dedicated this reading to The United Centers for Victims of Sexual Assault in Israel: https://www.1202.org.il/. In the era where you need to stay Home and stay safe can everyone?

CB Davies and Yasmine Beverly Rana reading “Paradise” with a Q & A after with Yasmine

Theater in the Rough continues to do readings with anybody joining in. They plan to finish up The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and then will most definitely have another play read with YOU. Check them out here.

I have been working on another virtual reading for Yom Hashoa which falls out April 20th. We have at least ten actors involved and will be using methods for transitions and entrances and exits. This is an exciting time of exploring a new way of making theater. Check out the event here.

In the meantime we hope to launch a JET Live Zoom meet up with a little Some Good News flare. If you haven’t seen SGN yet, check it out.

First episode of Some Good News with John Krasinski

John Krasinski, Emily Blount, and the whole original Hamilton cast brought many tears of warmth to people all over the world and the main message is it really is about YOU doing what you can to stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy. We are all in this together.

This year we celebrate Passover with a very different feeling. Many of us are doing it on our own for the first time. This will be a hard time as we usually are with our family, friends, or loved ones all together. But we are all in this together because we are all the storytellers. And we are all telling the same story. Imagine the Jewish people leaving Egypt? They all witnessed the same miracles. Today we are all witnesses worldwide to the same Pandemic. We all have the collective story of COVID – 19 to tell. Let’s remember that as we go into this holiday.

Looking forward to hearing what you are doing and how you are doing.

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

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

Tag: Zoom

Theater vs. COVID – 19 #6 Zoom readings, Some Good News, and a Chag Sameach

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