Year in Review: Theatre and Performance

Art by Ryan Miller.

This pandemic has hit theater organizations particularly hard because – although many other types of businesses were able to adapt and provide alternative offerings – theaters ran up against a question of theatrical integrity. Food is food whether it’s eaten inside a restaurant, on a patio or taken home in a box, but what is theater when you push it into a different delivery method? At what point does it become something else?

That’s the existential question every theater company had to grapple with this year, and groups of artists answered it differently. Many companies turned the spotlight on their production staff and actors with Zoom interviews; others attempted productions remotely with virtual delivery methods; some sorted through their archives to bring out past performances; and still others dove into other media such as radio theater and film. 

Performance venues and musicians alike had to face similar challenges when it came to the health and safety of their co-performers, staff members, volunteers and audiences, though there was often a greater variety of paths to follow to provide alternatives for those audiences.

Although we’ve certainly missed seeing our favorite performers on stage this year, the creativity that’s been on display and the greater insights we’ve been privileged to gain about what’s behind the curtain have connected audiences like never before.

Peninsula Players Cancels 2020 Summer Season

In an open letter to the community and Peninsula Players supporters, Artistic Director Greg Vinkler and Managing Director Brian Kelsey wrote, “While our natural instinct entices us to entertain and uplift you during these difficult times, we must consider our future together and make difficult decisions so that when we do regather, we are all here together … with no one missing. Although we are apart, we plan to remain engaged with you …”

Southern Door High School Takes Center Stage

Programs that connect high school students with professional theater artists enhance and further develop theatrical skills, and this year, Southern Door High School was the first school in the county to participate in the Center Stage Musical Theater Program of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. 

Bonnie Weydt, the choir director at Southern Door Middle and High School, has known about the program for years, but this was the first time when its participation border expanded to include Door County.

Rosalind: A Virtual Production Performed Remotely

Through an unusual and impressive combination of theater, film and videoconferencing, Door Shakespeare premiered Rosalind on Sept. 2.

“By way of three actors working remotely, each with costumes and sets and props delivered to their respective dwellings in a U-Haul cargo van,” Artistic Director Michael Stebbins wrote in an email outlining the production, and “through a process utilizing Zoom for rehearsals and communicating, iPhones for filming, FaceTime to view set-up shots in each location and a careful editing process … we have put on a play.”

Virtual Concerts Keep Creativity Flowing

Like famous musicians around the world, some of Door County’s local favorites – including Genevieve Heyward and Katie Dahl – have been giving virtual concerts. 

“I think virtual concerts are extremely important,” Heyward said. “It’s a way to keep music alive because, after all, it is a coping mechanism for many people.” 

Katie Dahl launched a Patreon site to help with her monthly income. 

“In exchange, I post little extras – downloads of new songs, sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content. That’s a big help, and it feels like it gives me a way to interact with fans and friends when I can’t see them in person.”

Door Community Auditorium Pivots, Focuses Efforts on 2021

Door Community Auditorium (DCA) Executive Director Cari Lewis watched as virtual offerings seeking to re-create in-person events and capture the attention of audiences and donors dominated the online landscape. But she and her staff decided to go in the opposite direction. 

“We felt that the medicine our community and visitors needed most would be found in the great outdoors, taking a break from screen time rather than watching more online content,” Lewis said. 

DCA has rescheduled nearly all of the 19 touring shows that were originally slated for the 2020 season, with acts such as Tanya Tucker and Keb’ Mo’ scheduled to take the stage during the summer of 2021.

TAP Kicks Off Public Capital Campaign

The Reimagine TAP capital campaign – to raise $3.5 million to renovate the 3rd Avenue building from top to bottom – was announced publicly in July. 

“We see this as not only an investment in our organization – including our patrons, actors and donors – but as a commitment to the Sturgeon Bay and Door County communities that theater will return,” said TAP Managing Director Amy Frank, “and that TAP will remain and plans to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”

Peninsula Players Launches New Interview Series

Peninsula Players launched Peninsula Players Presents!, an interview series with theater alumni during which Artistic Director Greg Vinkler checked in with former directors, actors and theater friends. The series eventually took a detailed look into the theater company’s storied past.

Remembering Gerald Pelrine

Gerald Pelrine died Jan. 15, and because he left Northern Sky Theater after its first year, many may be unaware that he was one of the theater’s two co-founders. Pelrine was a kind-hearted soul who was significant to both the artistic vitality of Door County and those who were privileged to know and love him.

Door Shakespeare Gets New Home of Its Own

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Door Shakespeare will be celebrating its 25th anniversary year in a home of its own, moving after many years in downtown Baileys Harbor. In addition to visibility, the new building provides expanded space, a flexible floor plan and inviting outdoor areas. 

“We’ll be experimenting and learning how to use the space throughout the year,” Artistic Director Michael Stebbins said, “but it’s very exciting to have the prospect of perhaps hosting small events or gatherings in our own home.”

Steel Bridge Songfest Goes Virtual

Adaptability and spontaneity have been baked into the DNA of Steel Bridge Songfest since its 2007 inception. Each event has been drastically different from the one before – which is, in fact, a large part of its appeal. 

The festival was held entirely online in June, when artists performed original music using a mix of live and prerecorded videos. Although many technical elements had to change, the Songfest’s most essential elements remained: passionate artists performing awesome music.