MUW's Covid Theatre Event

We're joined now by Libby Hawkins from the MUW theater department.

She's here to tell us about a play that's coming up in the very near future.

Eric crosswhite: welcome back.

We're joined now by libby hawkins from the muw theater department.

She's here to tell us about a play that's coming up in the very near future.

Good morning, libby.

Thank you for talking with us.

Libby hawkins: good morning.

Thank you so much for having me.

Eric crosswhite: now, everything about this show sounds unique from the name of it, to how viewers are going to be able to see it.

So let's talk about the play itself first and what the audience can expect.

Libby hawkins: yeah, so the play is she kills monsters: virtual realms by qui nguyen, and it's completely done over zoom.

It's the first production of its kind with muw, and we're super excited that we get to reach a much bigger audience this way and also make sure that we're being covid friendly and safe.

Eric crosswhite: yeah, that's awesome.

So tell us what it's about and how that ties in with having to do it through zoom and everything.

Libby hawkins: yeah.

So the play originally was written for the stage, and then when covid hit, qui nguyen adapted it so that people could use it specifically for zoom, and it was the first show that had been done that way.

It's a play about a girl named agnes who's a high school cheerleader, and she goes on a journey of discovery through dungeons and dragons to get to know her sister that she lost.

So it's a story about finding yourself and about finding the good in others.

Eric crosswhite: that's something that's very topical these days- libby hawkins: it is.

Eric crosswhite: ... for sure.

What are some of the difficulties of directing a play that's over zoom?

Talk a little bit about that.

Libby hawkins: yeah.

So none of the answers are in the same room.

We're all in completely different spaces.

And when i've directed before, part of the thing that i love so much is being in the room with people, because you get to share ideas, you share energy.

So this is really different because you've got to talk through the camera.

So it takes a lot more energy, both from me and from the actors and from my co- director cathy newman.

We have to figure out how it works in a film way, but it's still life theater.

So it's a weird amalgamation of things that we need to take from film and also things from stage to make something totally unique.

Eric crosswhite: yeah, and i'm sure a great experience for the actors too, because this is something they haven't experienced either.

Libby hawkins: absolutely.

And trends are saying that we're going to be doing this for a while because broadway is not coming back until maybe late next year, so we've all got to get comfortable with zoom and do theater any way we can.

Eric crosswhite: that's awesome.

Now audience members, what do they have to do to, to be able to see this?

Libby hawkins: they have to go to our website.

So it's muw theater, and then they will contact our department chair, david carter, and he'll set them up with a virtual ticket.

It's a totally free show on october 29th and 30th.

Anybody's welcome to join us.

Eric crosswhite: what time does it run?

Libby hawkins: 7:30 to i believe about 10:00.

Eric crosswhite: okay.

All right.

So, kind of a long show.

Libby hawkins: yeah.

And we're going to do ... part of that is also a q and a with the actors afterwards, so that if audience members have questions about the format, about the play, they can ask those then.

Eric crosswhite: right.

Do people need to get tickets, do they need to purchase anything ahead of time?

Libby hawkins: no, they don't have to purchase anything.

It's a totally free show.

Eric crosswhite: all right.

And you imagine that the plays at muw might be like this for a little while?

Libby