COVID-19 brought many safety precautions to the stage: masks, face shields, contactless ticketing, QR-linked programs, and more. As part of my PhD thesis work at Memorial University of Newfoundland, I have written Breathing the Same Air, a piece about theatre’s survival through the peak years of the pandemic.
The play draws on interviews with professional theatre artists, including producers, actors, stage managers and directors. To bring it to the stage, I approached Power Productions to produce the work.
Each performance includes a different set of COVID-19 safety precautions that appeared in the theatre since 2020. After the performance, we’ll ask audiences to fill out a questionnaire to find out what they thought: what works, what doesn’t, and whether they felt connected to the performers on stage at any point.
Breathing the Same Air will play at the LSPU Hall July 24th and 25th at 8pm, and at the Bowring Park Amphitheatre July 26th and 27th at 6pm. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with all proceeds going to Power Productions.
Download the program below.