The show must go on

PORTALES - Doing a stage performance without a stage can be challenging.

But the Eastern New Mexico University Theatre Department will be performing "Everybody" - a modern adaptation of the 16th Century play "Everyman" - on the digital video platform Zoom Thursday-Sunday.

"Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we've had to do all rehearsals via Zoom, so we have not met in person at all, so rehearsing has been a little bit of a challenge," said play Director Ricky Quintana.

"We're used to being in a room together and making that personal connection. Zoom kind of takes that personability of working together away. It's been interesting trying to adapt to a play being on Zoom and the intricacies of that."

Quintana, an ENMU instructor of theater, said one of the biggest challenges with a digital performance is making it exciting. He said he and his students also performed via Zoom in the fall semester, but they learned a lot from those experiences, and they have added elements to make this performance "more exciting," such as virtual backgrounds and other types of media.

Quintana and Stage Manager Alia Belinte, a theater student, said technology is the biggest challenge when performing on a digital platform.

"There have definitely been a lot of challenges," Belinte said. "In person, everyone has their job and things they make sure run properly. With a show like this, we're kind of at the mercy of the technology."

Belinte said there have been times when microphones have quit working or they have been kicked off the Zoom platform.

"For me, personally, there are a lot more steps for things we have to do, because we have so many people out of town," Belinte said. "I was in charge of mailing things out to people. We have to mail costumes across the state and hope that they fit."

But the experience of performing at a distance has also had its rewards, Belinte said.

"We don't all have to be in the same place to be doing our art," Belinte said. "It's wonderful, because I've had the opportunity to meet students outside the local area that I normally wouldn't have been able to meet and work with. It's been a wonderful learning experience for me."

"Everybody" is a story meant to represent all humans and follows everybody as they try to find someone to go with them to the afterlife, said Quintana. Characters' names include Friendship, Love, Kinship, and Stuff.

The play is unique in that it begins with students chosen at random for the role they will play. Quintana said a digital wheel spin will choose which student plays which character; students have no idea which character they will play until just before the performance starts.

"It has definitely been a huge thing for our actors," Belinte said . "Memorizing the whole script has been a big challenge for them, and they've all done wonderful with it. It's very interesting to see how different actors interpret a role and how that changes the show every night."

"That's kind of why I picked it, too ... even though it is on Zoom, it's exciting to watch," Quintana said. "I think the fun thing is watching all of the actors play these different roles, because they've never played the same character in rehearsal."

Quintana said he feels it is important to "keep the arts alive" during these pandemic times.

"The show has been a lot of work from everyone involved, because it is so intricate. So everyone involved is really proud of it ... we hope our Eastern family will be proud of it too," Belinte said.