Even with the vaccine being rolled out we’re in for a little more Zoom theater and art-from-home before quarantine is lifted. So I’ve rounded up a few online art experiences I’ve really enjoyed during the past few months.
Can You Make Hair for Me?
an online exhibition by photographer Eileen Powers
This is the first online exhibit I’ve seen of this kind. The artist recorded videos talking about her project and the art pieces themselves and you can watch them as you look at images from the show. It’s the closest you can get these days to a personal walk through of an exhibition.
Powers is a cancer survivor and she creates elaborate wigs from found materials and photographs herself in them. The result is a stunning photographic display that comments on human ingenuity especially in the face of adversity. A beautiful and fun show that you can see from anywhere.
DreamBoston Plays & Walking Plays
by Huntington Theatre and Lyric Stage Company
Audio plays are making a huge debut during lock downs! I love these two sets in particular because they’re set in and around Boston. The Walking Plays are designed to be listened to while you walk through Downtown Boston. Lyric Stage even provides a map so you can visualize the story (and enjoy a little sunshine) while listening. The Dream Boston plays similarly are set in different neighborhoods and focus on Boston landmarks like the 54th Regiment Memorial on the Boston Common.
All of these plays are written by local playwrights and performed by local actors. This both strengthens the Boston connection and provides work for area talent!
State vs. Natasha Banina
Zoom theater by Arlekin Players Theatre
Everything Arlekin Players does is perfection. They have produced some of the best virtual theater I’ve seen since COVID-19 began. Stave vs. Natasha Banina is a one woman show, a testimony in court by a young Russian orphan on trial for assault. Though the case may seem cut-and-dry, it exposes how systemic structures can stack the odds against people dealing with circumstances like poverty and abandonment.
It’s a great script, but that’s not the best part of this show. The troupe uses a minimalistic set and special computer effects to make it an interactive and surreal experience. That high production value in combination with the spectacular acting is a tough combination to beat. They do performances in Russian and English!
Neighborhood Arts Concerts
Celebrity Series of Boston
Concerts are another event I’ve missed during lockdown! Organizations of all kinds including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Handel and Haydn have been producing high quality virtual concerts to watch during COVID-19. But for the greatest diversity I like Celebrity Series of Boston which shows all kinds of music, and sometimes dance, from local and global artists.
As they are in person, the Neighborhood Arts Concerts are free and open to the public. Online they’re also accessible at any time on YouTube. Most places operate on a subscription basis so it’s great that Celebrity Series is maintaining it’s commitment to accessibility even during a tight budget time.