Cambrian Players to Stream New Performance
By Sara Sadeghi Aval
Nine stories, 10 minutes, one stage. Cambrian Players will be bringing John Cariani’s Love/Sick into your living room on April 3. The play features stories full of love and life over one eventful night, and illuminates monumental moments in relationships through a goofy lens. First-time producer Robyn Dias believes it to be the perfect script for online theatre. The process of livestreaming entire plays has become the new norm in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are nine vignettes within this play, each containing their own story, and so we have 18 mobile actors with their own scenes and sets,” Dias says. “We will all be inside Cambrian Theatre and our setup is close to that of a TV studio, but the camera will move, allowing for each couple to stay within their own bubbles and maintain some isolation.” Dias adds that “in regular plays, so much crossover happens between characters. Here, each actor can remain in their space while participating in the whole picture.”
Dias, who is also making her Cambrian acting debut in Love/Sick, is settling into her new leadership role with help from her castmates. When asked what her favourite part of being a producer has been, she says, “Coordinating and organizing people is my cup of tea, and I am enjoying being a part of the back-end administration. As an actor though, adjusting to Zoom rehearsals is a bit harder. In-person dynamics are hard to imitate, but by practising in separate spaces, it set us up for this play structure.”
It’s no secret that live events may not come back as soon as we would like, but Dias is quick to remind theatre lovers about the benefits of streamed performances. “Any art form ultimately evolves with the times,” she says. “This is the digital era and I think we should embrace the shift. A major aspect is the accessibility livestreaming offers to those who have a hard time getting to the theatre.”
Once tickets are available for purchase, each household can obtain a link to watch the show.
Catch all the updates on Instagram @cambrianplayers.
