Social-Distancing Theater Promotes Community For Kids

DEERFIELD, IL — The dream of many in theater is to perform in front of live audiences to showcase their craft on a stage. The crew behind the scenes of a production also strives to make sure the in-person experience keeps everyone entertained. In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Deerfield's Sarah Hall Theatre Company is finding creative ways to continue doing what they do.

"We are fortunate to live in a community where the families of our young performers have access to devices and WI-FI, so we have been able to run our programming through Zoom," Stefanie Guggenheim, a director at Sarah Hall, told Patch. "Since the stay-at-home order began, students in each of our programs have logged on weekly, at their regularly scheduled class times, to engage in theater games, creative activities, and show rehearsals."

Guggenheim stressed the value of teamwork, or ensemble, at Sarah Hall. As the students often need to interact without making eye or physical contact with one another in the virtual world, it can present challenges.

"Our kids have had to be very creative and imaginative and adapt to the circumstances. Each performer will pretend their scene partner is next to them, although they actually have to stare at the wall," Guggenheim said. "We have been so impressed by the commitment our performers have shown to their performances remotely, reacting consistently and enthusiastically to everything happening in the scene."

Another obstacle, according to Guggenheim, has been running ensemble numbers when the music does not reach all participant devices in real-time.

"Rather than listening to 30 kids sing at varied tempos, we have remedied this by having participants "mute" themselves during group numbers, but we really miss the beautiful sound of the ensemble harmonies coming together," Guggenheim said. "Monitoring muted and unmuted participants is a game in and of itself. "

Despite the new challenges, the company continues moving forward with varied programming scheduled throughout the summer months.

UPCOMING CLASSES AT SARAH HALL THEATRE COMPANY

• In its online "Broadway Bootcamp," 4th-9th grade performers will engage in two weeks of classes filled with training in acting, singing, dancing, and the overall art of theater. Everyone will receive two hours of daily, live face-to-face time with their fellow thespians. Campers will practice singing technique, participate in mock auditions, learn and perform Broadway-style dances, play improvisation and theater games, and explore the wonderful world of all-things-Broadway.
• In "SHTC: Quarantine Cabaret," 9th-11th grade performers will train in dance, harmony, and solo performance work. The week will culminate in a pre-filmed livestream for friends and family. It will be a great training experience in addition to social experience with your fellow theater kids.
• In "Scenes on Screens," 1st-3rd grade young performers will work together to develop acting skills and technique. Using scenes from some of our favorite movies, campers will participate in interactive classes focused on voice work, characters, music, and much more.

• In "Mini Movie Magic," 3-5 year-olds will join our engaging instructors for theater games, stories, and movie magic.
• "Deerfield Performers Troupe" is hosting virtual auditions for incoming 6th-8th graders for the upcoming 2020-2021 season (pending facility availability). This advanced musical theater program for dedicated students focuses on performance, ensemble, teamwork, dramaturgy, and the purpose of performing.

"This social-distancing theater experiment has reinforced the proud sense of community and support we have in our theater program among the young performers," Guggenheim said. "In a naturally competitive art form, our kids take time to appreciate and compliment one another no matter the circumstances, which also reinforces our value of ensemble. We hope that this welcoming environment encourages more kids to try theater and gain the creativity and confidence that they can transfer to any environment in the future."

To learn more about the Sarah Hall Theatre Company, visit www.sarahhalltheatre.com.