Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Reimagined classics designed for virtual immersion: RSC’s DREAM & M-34 Productions’ LETTER TO MY FATHER

• By drediman
• March 21, 2021
• No Comments

This weekend, I participated in an online doubleheader that together represents a fascinating step forward, through the exciting use of technology, in how virtual theatrical content can be live-streamed. Continue below for my thoughts.

DREAM
Royal Shakespeare Company / Manchester International Festival / Marshmallow Laser Feast / Philharmonia
Live-streaming through March 20

One of the more ambitious virtual productions thus far in 2021 is undoubtedly Dream, Pippa Hill and Robin McNicholas’s immersive high-tech riff on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The project is a collaboration between four big guns – the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Manchester International Festival, Marshmallow Laser Feast, and the Philharmonia – and it shows. Stepping into the show’s vibrant VR forest, as guided by Puck, is a breathtaking experience (think high-end computer animated film), especially when enriched by the Philharmonia’s lush scoring (courtesy of maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen) and subtle interactive touches. However, those expecting some semblance of Shakespeare’s play will no doubt be disappointed, despite the gorgeous vistas that have been created. Dream (RECOMMENDED) uses the Bard’s evergreen play mostly as a springboard to experiment with groundbreaking technology; there are actually only snippets of Shakespeare’s language sprinkled throughout. Indeed, the endeavor often feels more like a video game, which may turn off traditionalists but may be a fun alternative to those more adventurous. The project is at its most theatrical and engaging when it pans out to reveal the performance behind the high gloss VR world. That moment comes late during the scant 30-minute running time, but it salvages the overall experience by injecting humanity and genuine emotion into this R&D exercise. But, my, what sights (and sounds)!

LETTER TO MY FATHER
M-34 Productions
Live-streaming through March 28

In the performing arts, I’ve long been drawn to the relationship between space, perspective, and performance. In a virtual world, furthering this exploration has been all but impossible, and I’ve mostly resigned myself to a forced 2-dimensional point of view (ugh, those Zoom boxes!) that takes on a bland sameness after a while. Enter M-34 Productions’ Letter to My Father (RECOMMENDED), James Rutherford and Michael Guagno’s solo stage adaptation of Franz Kafka’s Letter to His Father (using an English translation by Hannah Stokes and Richard Stokes), a seminal literary work which lays out the author’s exhaustive list of grievances towards his father. The live-streamed event is captured by multiple cameras, and the audience is given control of choosing from which camera to view the action. As such, the production encourages engagement from the viewer to curate their own experience of Mr. Guagno’s restless, frustrated live performance. Set in some claustrophobic, purgatorial file room, you’re able to follow the actor around the space as he channels Kafka’s lacerating feelings (Mr. Guagno literally unpacks and navigates through boxes of “files”). Another benefit of this exposing “staging” is its ability to visually convey the inherent isolation of our thoughts, which brings a chilly but compelling thematic reference point for experiencing Kafka’s bitter diatribe.