Students are riffing off a Saturday night sketch-show favorite for Theatre Studies’ upcoming “COVID Night Live” offering for a virtual audience.

Live From SNC, It’s Saturday Night!

Just as rehearsals were heating up last March for the spring play at St. Norbert College, the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down, sending students home devastated. As the St. Norbert theatre faculty considered its plans for the fall semester, they didn’t want the same thing to happen.

To avoid the same situation this fall, Erin Hunsader (Theatre Studies) says developing a production that could be done virtually was essential.

The result is “COVID Night Live,” which will stream live at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6-7 and Nov. 13-14 and is modeled after “Saturday Night Live,” with five shorter plays, a longer radio show and student-written commercials.

“As I told the students, we wanted to make sure we had maximum flexibility,” says April Beiswenger (Theatre Studies).

That means if a student were to be quarantined, he or she could still rehearse via Zoom, she says. Even if the whole campus would have had to close down, students still could have participated via Zoom. [SNC continues successfully in person this semester, with only two active cases on campus at press time.]

“The students were so excited and eager to get back to doing what they love,” Beiswenger says. “In theatre studies, we pride ourselves on knowing what to expect, but as I said we have to be flexible and the students have responded well to that.

“We have had students quarantined or who have gone home, but then we practice virtually,” she continues. “As I told them, it’s all about maximum flexibility and changing to what’s needed.”

Your “COVID Night” program
The short plays include “Sure Thing” by David Ives; “Game Theory” by Peter Sagal; “Rules of Comedy” by Peter Bloedel; “So Tell Me About This Guy” by Dolores Whiskeyman; and “Hey Stranger” by Steph Del Rosso. The radio broadcast segment is Agatha Christie’s “The Case of The Careless Client.” Student-authored commercials will serve as transitions between the shows.

In everything the theatre students do, they wear masks and practice social distancing – just like everyone else on campus this semester. Having to practice virtually when participants have been quarantined means students – and faculty members – are learning new skills in recording and editing video through the experience, Kopischke says.

If you go: There is no charge for the vuirtual show tickets, but spaces are limited. Contact the SNC Box Office to reserve your space now at 920-403-3950, or visit snc.edu/performingarts.

Concerts go on, but without a live audience
The Dudley Birder Chorale, an adult community ensemble of 150 singers, was just days away from performing a large Mozart Masterworks Concert when the state’s Safer at Home order went into place last March.

But that cancellation – and the decision to not hold the chorale’s regular All Saints Day and Veterans Day concerts – led to something new for the singers: a televised Christmas concert, says Kent Paulsen (Music), artistic director of the Dudley Birder Chorale and of the student Knights on Broadway troupe.

“When we canceled those other concerts, we started virtual rehearsals for our Christmas show,” he says.

The chorale will gather for one day when the concert will be recorded; the concert will run on WFRV-TV the Saturday before Christmas during primetime and on Christmas Day.

“We are excited to do something new to reach a much larger audience, all in a COVID-safe environment. In virtual rehearsals, I pre-record the music and individuals practice their own parts at home,” Paulsen says. “When we gather in November to put everything together, all singers will be masked, including for the recording. We are purchasing matching masks and will consider it a standard part of the performance apparel, like an extra accoutrement to a tux or dress.”

For Knights on Broadway – a troupe of 13 St. Norbert students performing Broadway tunes – Paulsen was preparing the group to fly to Florida to sing for a group of college donors and friends of the college when the pandemic put the brakes on plans.

“We never made the trip and didn’t gather again, cancelling all of our spring performances. This summer, in an attempt to get closure and a proper send off for our seniors, we undertook two virtual performance recordings,” Paulsen says. “This was quite involved – each student recorded themselves at home, and the videos are synced together.”

The videos of those performances will be released to family and friends soon.

The pandemic also changed how this year’s Knights were selected. Paulsen says students submitted vidoes that were recorded at their homes, in their cars or in studios to a backing track.

This year’s Knights already are preparing for their virtual performances, Paulsen continues. Next month, friends, family and Knight supporters will be able to purchase virtual tickets to watch the Christmas special, which will be livestreamed.

“We have begun rehearsals already, masked and separated, often in smaller groups to learn music, and we have even had several rehearsals outside,” Paulsen says. “Students will be masked for the performances when all are singing, but will be able to remove their mask when they are singing solo and [are] the only person on-stage.”

Oct. 29, 2020