Not Even Remotely Is Self-Aware Virtual Theater

(From left) Doug Clemons and Alex Campea play Igor and Victor Frankenstein, respectively. Submitted.

The question on discerning theatergoers’ minds recently has been about theatrical authenticity. During a time with little in-person theater, what does a virtual production look like, and how far on the spectrum from theater to film are theater companies willing to push their works?

Northern Sky Theater’s first show of the 2021 season walks that line in two interesting ways.

First, the production, Not Even Remotely: Live Online, was presented on YouTube, but each performance was done live. Rather than film the show to release as a video on demand, every night of the show’s four-night run was livestreamed from a condo in Milwaukee. Nothing was filmed prior to each performance, and so the actors, Alex Campea and Doug Clemons, performed their parts as they would on stage.

Second, this show was written to be performed either virtually or in person, so Northern Sky will present it in its new Gould Theater next month.

The premise is this: A lavish musical rendition of Frankenstein has been derailed by COVID-19, and now the remaining two company members have decided the show must go online. The play begins with an “accidental” look at the pre-show routine of the two actors before they realize the stream has begun early. From there, a comedic musical begins, with humorous cut-ins from the actors to explain what the set, lighting and choreography would have looked like if the show had gone on normally.

By writing a show with streaming in mind, Richard Carsey and Stephen Kovacs are able to play with the short-lived theatrical medium in interesting ways. It’s a virtual show that knows what it is and uses its limitations to the fullest extent. Actors switch out theatrical props for everyday items that they find around the house; they stage technical difficulties as the production goes awry; and they constantly break the fourth wall to keep the audience imagining what the show should look like. It’s truly a production that looks and feels as though it was thrown together at the last minute – as it should, given the premise.

What remains to be seen is how audiences will react to the show in person later this summer. By placing it in a cramped condo living room and having the actors talk to and interact with the camera, the show uses its format to tell its story. But what does the same show look like when it’s separated from the reality in which it was originally performed?

Audiences will find out when Not Even Remotely: Live in Person premieres July 12. Tickets are available at northernskytheater.com.