We all know that a post Covid world is certainly coming but we don’t know when society will open up. It could be three months, six months or even eighteen months. What can we do in the meantime? How can we think about ways to avoid going stagnant?  Rather than getting depressed about all the loss, which of course we all do from time to time, I am trying to think about what En Garde Arts CAN do. I’ve pinned a paper on my wall that says

I’m brainstorming with artists about the possibilities of creating new theatrical work that is site-specific or immersive in ways that could respect social distancing parameters. I’m talking about how we can bring our theatrical storytelling online in a manner that is true to the medium of each.

Here at En Garde Arts we are lucky that, before all this happened, we formed a partnership with WNET’s All Arts to bring our Uncommon Voices series online. On Wednesday, ALLARTS.org will be releasing our next Uncommon Voices with Miranda Rose Hall’s A Play for the Living in  A Time for Extinction commissioned by LubDub Theatre Company. It’s a beautifully poignant piece about climate change performed by Nadine Malouf. I met this incredibly talented group of people through Caitlin Cassidy who is one of the founding members of this group. She first came to me as an intern and worked in my office on our social media campaign. She’s a pro with all that. When we presented LubDub at The Commons Cafe, she did such a wonderful job publicizing it that we completely sold out.

I am also incredibly lucky to be partnering with Jesse Green, not THAT Jesse Green, but an Emmy award winning filmmaker who will always do whatever is needed. He films these episodes. He edits them, adds the sound recordings and ships them all off to our WNET partners on a timely basis.

After you watch the LubDub episode, we hope you’ll also watch the ones that have been previously released: Kevin R, Free’s A Hill On Which to Drown featuring Andre De Shields and you should also watch the first two episodes: Pascale Armand’s S#!thole Country Clapback and Andrea Thome’s Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes). You have to take a break from Netflix at some point!

When I’m not glued to my computer, I’m figuring out how to live life.

Here is my learning on the “Journey of the Mask”

1. A pathetic attempt at making my own mask.

2. Following a blog about how to make your own mask wasn’t much better.

3. Acquiescing and buying one off Etsy

What are the other ways I’m coping?

I’m reaching out to artists I would have never otherwise had the chance to connect with.

It took a plague to get my family to all connect once a week on zoom, but at least it’s happening. 

(My son in our weekly family zoom meeting refused to turn on his camera and I got mad).

I’m listening to Cuomo every day.

I’m eating well and saving money by not going to restaurants which is good because our Airbnb business is in the toilet.

And finally,

Thank God for my dog.

“theatre unbounded”

I LOVE THAT.

Stay well and safe,

Annie