One of the biggest shifts that the theatre industry has seen as a result of the pandemic is the rise in virtual experiences. For millennia, theatre has been an art form that brings people together in the same space to share the buzz of excitement and thrill of emotion connected with live performances. However, Covid-19 has made this almost impossible. Over the past few months, institutions have been forced to make changes, but this has allowed for innovations in the field as well. The issue moving forward into the “new normal” is how to operate in terms of offering seasons as in-person or virtual experiences. I believe that theatres will choose to integrate both types of programming into their future season planning because of the developments made during the pandemic.

Over the course of 2020, theatres have had to come to terms with the shifting landscape that the pandemic has brought to the cultural sector. This has resulted in numerous studies about changing audience perspectives when it comes to attending performances. One survey from Shugoll Research found that "49 percent of those questioned say they will likely wait a few months before returning [to the theatre once they reopen]. Only 25 percent think they would attend right away.” This reluctance to return to the theatre space means that organizations will need to continue to utilize other ways to connect with their audiences until they feel more comfortable returning to the building. As a result, some arts managers are predicting that virtual performances will be an excellent tool “in a future transitional phase, in which part of the audience, still worried about contagion, opts for a livestream of the performance.”

Advantages of Digital Theatre

Even after the transition, however, some audience members might have grown accustomed to the convenience of watching theatre from their own homes. An article from the Los Angeles Times, “Digital Theater Is All the Rage, but Could It Destroy the Live Stage?” points out the struggle that some face getting to the theatre, whether it's dealing with traffic and parking, child care, or even having to share the space with a large, potentially disruptive crowd. The ability to watch from the comfort of one’s home is attractive to many audience members, especially when there is the opportunity to watch on their own schedule. Busy, working people might find it difficult to make time to attend live performances, but with the ability to view shows asynchronously, there is space to reach a greater number of people who are interested in attending who might not otherwise have the time. The ability to continue connecting with these audiences through a digital medium once they go back to their “normal,” hectic lives will be important in helping the theatre industry prosper in a post-Covid landscape.

Digital experiences also offer opportunities for enhanced diversity, equity, and inclusion in the theatre space, which has been a longstanding issue facing the industry. Research from Culture Track’s Culture + Community in a Time of Crisis study demonstrates that virtual performances have reached audiences who do not typically attend theatre, with 55% of respondents saying that they had participated in virtual theatre but not attended in person within the last year. The study also suggested that “digital offerings can also attract and appeal to a wider and more diverse range of audiences,” which supports the increased focus that many theatres have placed on DEAI issues. This can be credited to a few factors, including enhancing access for those with disabilities, removing financial barriers to attendance, and reaching beyond the boundaries of location to reach a wider audience than is possible through live theatre.

Examples in the INdustry

One illustration of the opportunity that digital experiences offer in this regard can be seen with Steppenwolf Now, a virtual membership to stream content from Steppenwolf Theatre that offers a new show each month. By offering this digital opportunity, Steppenwolf’s content has had the opportunity to connect with audiences worldwide, ranging from their hometown of Chicago to Peru, the Philippines, and beyond. This is a clear demonstration of the power of virtual experiences to expand the reach of the theatre. The feeling of connection that theatre can create is vital, especially at this time. Capturing the opportunity to reach diverse audiences is something that many theatres will want to continue striving towards, and virtual performances will be a powerful tool to accomplish that goal.

Further research from Culture Track demonstrates that the number one way people have been engaging in cultural activities during the pandemic has been pre-Covid recorded performances, second to live streaming. One example of these ideas in practice can be seen with the recording of Hamilton that is now streaming on Disney+. This production being offered on a streaming service opened the door to Broadway for so many people who might not ever get the chance to be there in person. Streaming shows to a broader audience in this manner “will normalize Broadway even as it remains closed, transforming it from the status symbol it has become to the easily accessible entertainment it was always meant to be.”[1] Other modes of connecting with theatre during the pandemic can be seen with the increase of shows streaming on YouTube or Vimeo, such as the National Theatre at Home programming, and live performances on platforms like Zoom. Some streaming platforms offer live chats during performances, which creates connection between audience members and brings part of the spark of sharing a live performance to an at-home experience. There will always be people who do not feel comfortable going into a theatre or who live too far away to get to the physical space, but virtual experiences keep the door open for everyone to be able to enjoy.

Looking to the Future

Taking all of these factors into consideration, it is clear that some institutions are using the difficult times brought by the pandemic to take stock in their programming and see where they can really dive into audience engagement. As audiences have grown accustomed to virtual experiences and made digital connections with the organization, bonds have been created that will last well into the future. In considering how different organizations might operate in the new normal, McKinsey & Co. predicts that the most successful organizations will “bottle what worked” for them during the pandemic and use those tools as building blocks to the future. Additionally, a study of successful performing arts institutions from SMU DataArts found that most thriving organizations have “high standards in the creation of work that is meaningful to the local community” that leads to increased audience participation and donor engagement. Creating experiences that are meaningful for audiences that organizations are increasingly trying to reach—including a younger, more diverse crowd—is the way for theatres to be able to thrive moving forward. Therefore, it makes sense that institutions will choose to keep virtual performances as part of their season planning in the future.

While some believe that virtual experiences are just a place holder until live theatre is possible again, as evidenced in the recent New York Times article, “Digital Theater Isn’t Theater. It’s a Way to Mourn Its Absence,” I would disagree. The reason why theatre has such an impact on us is because of the strength of storytelling. Digital theatre has created pathways to continue sharing these stories even during a global pandemic, which is a testament to the staying power of the industry. Theatre experienced virtually has opened so many doors to both individuals and institutions to be able to continue to benefit from cultural exchanges during this time when in-person experiences seem a long way away.

Eventually we will return to a point where in-person theatre experiences will come back—there is no doubt about that—but digital experiences are not going anywhere. Audiences are realizing the benefits of being able to watch from their homes and institutions have recognized this as a way to take audience engagement to the next level. The future of the industry will pair in-person experiences and streamed productions, plus virtual talks and other digital content that all work together to integrate the digital experiences that so many people have come to enjoy with a more traditional, in-person experience for the best of both worlds.

[1] Katz, “‘Hamilton’ on Disney+ Kicks the Door Open to Theatrical Possibility,” https://observer.com/2020/06/hamilton-disney-plus-streaming-musical-theater/

Resources

Collins-Hughes, Laura. “Digital Theater Isn’t Theater. It’s a Way to Mourn Its Absence.” The New York Times, July 8, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/theater/live-theater-absence.html.

Cunningham, Vinson. “How Are Audiences Adapting to the Age of Virtual Theatre?” The New Yorker, October 5, 2020. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/12/how-are-audiences-adapting-to-the-age-of-virtual-theatre.

Editors, American Theatre. “Survey Shows Audiences’ Reluctance to Return to the Theatre.” American Theatre, April 14, 2020. https://www.americantheatre.org/2020/04/14/survey-shows-audiences-reluctance-to-return-to-the-theatre/.

Green, Jonathan, Gregor Jost, and Alberto Montagner. “Emerging Faster and Stronger – Building Blocks of the ‘New Normal’ Operating Model.” McKinsey & Company, July 8, 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/the-organization-blog/emerging-faster-and-stronger-building-blocks-of-the-new-normal-operating-model.

Jacobson, Kelsey. “Theatre Companies Are Pushing Storytelling Boundaries with Online Audiences amid COVID-19.” The Conversation, July 21, 2020. http://theconversation.com/theatre-companies-are-pushing-storytelling-boundaries-with-online-audiences-amid-covid-19-141583.

Katz, Brandon. “‘Hamilton’ on Disney+ Kicks the Door Open to Theatrical Possibility.” Observer, June 30, 2020. https://observer.com/2020/06/hamilton-disney-plus-streaming-musical-theater/.

La Placa Cohen and Slover Linett Audience Research. “Culture + Community in a Time of Crisis.” Culture Track, July 7, 2020. https://s28475.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CCTC-Key-Findings-from-Wave-1_9.29.pdf.

McNulty, Charles. “Digital Theater Is All the Rage, but Could It Destroy the Live Stage?” Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-05-13/coronavirus-theater-digital-streaming-risks.

“Steppenwolf - We’re Going Global.” Accessed November 8, 2020. https://viewer.mapme.com/steppenwolf.

Voss, Zannie, and Glen Voss. “The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations.” SMU DataArts, August 2020. https://culturaldata.org/pages/the-alchemy-of-high-performing-arts-organizations/.