our process
Collaborative. Communal. Courageous.
The creative team of Pandemic Project '21 explored personal stories, asked bold questions, and expressed points of interests when discussing landmark events which shaped our past year.
In this section, we document our creative process. It has been a year since we've been in production, and it might not be the methods we are used to, but our collaborators fearlessly jumped back in as if they'd never left the theatre.
Jam Boards
In the early days of rehearsal on Zoom, we used Jam Boards to crowdsource responses to prompts. This was an efficient way to ascertain what was present in the minds of our cast anonymously, and helped us generate material for the show. Pictured below are the responses from our cast to the question: What events or circumstances were indicative of the last year?
Following this, we asked: What were some personal events that marked the last year?
Inquiry, self-reflection, and honesty played large parts in the disucssions within the rehearsal room, and the team shared their own stories before exploring other stories of the past year. The team asked questions to each other and discussed topics that interested them, they developed characters with distinct traits and qualities, and they began to brainstorm worlds that these characters will live in.
"It's challenging, I guess, as an artist and creator, trusting myself that what I put out is good enough, and has enough power within it for the story we are trying to tell."
(Diana Afriye-Opoku, Sophomore)
The creative process of this piece included numerous rehearsals of collaborative brainstorming, discussion, and writing. Writer's rooms were created as the team gained a more concrete sense of the structure and stories of this piece. The team was then able to start pitching ideas, creating plotlines, and finding ways that the numerous stories of this piece would intersect.
"My favorite part of this process has been getting into the space and putting it on its feet, because it is really coming alive instead of just being virtual. It's definitely been getting into the space and seeing everybody."
(Izzy Addison, Junior)
Only so much can be done over Zoom. Getting in the studio and seeing each other face to face sparked moments of play, of experimenting, and of discovery. Composition and creation combined with a fearless approach from the team fueled creativity and pieces of the puzzle began to come together. What once was just a vague concept being discussed on a Zoom screen was morphing into a story. Our story.
"I'm really glad that this is my last production. It's nice to go into a production knowing it's my last, and to have it be about something that is so important and impactful, and with a group that's so supportive and kind. It's a very special experience to go out on."
(Noelle Warne, Senior)