With many in-person businesses and experiences having their entire business models disrupted due to COVID-19, it has been exciting to see how creative businesses especially are adapting to the changes. For theatre companies who rely on physical audiences as an integral part of their productions, many have had to either face uncertainly for the upcoming season and stay closed, or they are taking their work online.
Award-winning New York-based company The Seeing Place have done the latter and are continuing to bring their productions to audiences via Zoom. They are entering their 10th season which will be all virtual. The season is centered around the theme of The Body Politic, and The Seeing Place is no stranger to tackling important topics around politics and social justice. They will be presenting their productions written by distinguished playwrights virtually, with the hope of returning to their NYC location as soon as they are able.
TSP will be presenting ten stories that expose the fight for autonomy. Who controls our well-being? How far will we go to claim our destiny as our own? How do we maintain our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness? Through seminal works by Pulitzer Prize winners, Tony winners, Nobel Nominees, and masters of the theatrical canon, TSP is initiating a deep conversation about what it means to be human, and how these works reflect the trials and tribulations we experience in today’s society.
Throughout the global pandemic, the company has come to realize that storytelling, about the past, present, and future, are more important than ever. First up in this season’s line-up is Liz Duffy Adams irreverent post-apocalyptic play ‘Dog Act’.
The play follows the adventures of Zetta Stone, a traveling performer, and her companion Dog (a young man undergoing a “voluntary species demotion”) as they wander through the former northeastern United States. Zetta, Dog, and their little troupe are on their way to a gig in China, assuming they can find it…and survive the journey. ‘Dog Act’ is a theatrical, darkly comic variation on the classic doomsday genre, with five original songs.
The productions star members of their illustrious ensemble comprised of actors from the BIPOC, disabled, LGTBQIA, and immigrant communities, and 75% are women or non-binary. They are TSP veterans Erin Cronican, Robin Friend, William Ketter, Jon L Peacock, Hailey Vest, Brandon Walker (who appeared in one of the first ever productions of the play in 2005), and Weronika Helena Wozniak.
“It seems all-too appropriate to be presenting a play about post-apocalyptic adventures, given our current health and political upheaval that we’re experiencing in the United States. This play asks us to reflect on how we manage our pain and loss, how we forge alliances in times of strife, and the importance of storytelling to bring us all together,” said director Erin Cronican in a press release.
To further the play’s impact, The Seeing Place will follow the live play with a talkback discussion “Action Steps for Surviving Hardship in an Uncertain World” with panelists from the storytelling and health communities.
This performance is a part of The Seeing Place’s Ripple For Change series, a program that celebrates non-profit organizations who are making immense contributions to their communities in the area of social justice.
February’s honoree is St Clement’s NYC: A congregation that has always celebrated the ministry of women, of gay and lesbian people, and those of all walks of life; a longtime center of service to the poor, celebrating social activism and creative liturgy – one of the most diverse Episcopal parishes in New York City. St Clements has operated a food pantry since 1986, one of its primary means of outreach.
Next from The Seeing Place are three more Ripple For Change online productions:
SWEAT: Lynn Nottage’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about small-town factory workers confronting union layoffs and racism in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat. (February 27-March 11, 2021 via Zoom and YouTube)
SPIN CYCLE: A young woman tries to run away from her life after witnessing a murder: will they come for her next? A world premiere thriller by Cornelia Ravenal. Spring 2021 via Zoom and YouTube)
WIT: Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about an English professor’s literal and existential fight with stage IV ovarian cancer. (hopefully Fall 2021)
BOY: Inspired by a true story, in Anna Ziegler’s play a well-intentioned doctor convinces the parents of a male infant to raise their son as a girl after a terrible accident. (Fall/Winter 2021).
Here’s how you can catch a performance of ‘Dog Act’ performed LIVE via Zoom:
Saturday, January 30th at 7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PDT
Friday, February 5th at 7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PDT
Streaming is also available via YouTube February 2-12, 2021.
Tickets are $10-$50 and are now available online at www.TheSeeingPlace.com or by calling (866) 811-4111.
Running Time: 2 hours
Website: www.seeingplacetheater.com
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