The show must go on

Northview’s performing artists adjust to COVID-19 safety guidelines

Grace Peng, Managing Online and Social Media Editor

Rising senior Suraj Singareddy’s inspiration was drawn from his personal quarantine experience.

Video courtesy of Northview Theatre

The pandemic has brought many student activities to a halt, and the performing arts is a field that has been most affected by current social distancing and quarantine guidelines. Singers, actors, orchestras, comedians - productions that require engagement with a live audience - have done their best to continue their livelihood through virtual performances. 

Rising senior Suraj Singareddy is no exception. He is known for the comedic, dynamic flair he brings to every Northview Drama Department production. From his hilarious performance as part of Team Conspiracy in January’s Theatre Sports to his audience-responsive role as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Wax Museum, Singareddy is known for his chameleonic changes to fit the roles he plays.

But in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, like many other performing artists, Singareddy’s life has been uprooted. The much-anticipated school production of High School Musical that was set to perform on March 19 is one of many aspects affected by the pandemic, with the live audience that student theatre actors thrive in front of becoming medically unacceptable. But Northview’s drama department has continued to be active in multiple ways, through individual rehearsals and virtual team building activities. 

“It’s hard to be away from our theatre family, [but] we’re still finding ways to connect online. Recently we sent letters to each other, had a virtual baking competition, and watched John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch together,” Singareddy said. 

Prior to the pandemic, the drama department originally planned to perform one more show before the end of the year but the show would stray away from a traditional performance format. This show would openly interact with the audience, who would select scenes based on collective preference. The scenes were then switched to one-person segments when school cancellations were first announced since individual scenes were easier to prepare at home. However, when the entire show was canceled, the project was converted into a short-film collection titled “COVIDeos”. 

The switch to virtual instead of simply canceling was an idea from the directors of the drama department, language arts teacher Elizabeth Lake and drama teacher Anna Pieri. They have continued to tirelessly mentor the students in bringing their short films to life, guiding each student in producing their projects by placing deadlines for detailed tasks such as scripting, filming, and allowing a broad range of ideas for inspiration. 

 “We were given a lot of freedom with this project to choose whatever stories we wanted to present. The only guideline given to us was that it should be inspired by our quarantine experience in some way,” rising senior Aayush Umesh said.

Umesh is another star of Northview’s drama department, known for his passionate, clever performances, from his dramatization of Wilbur Wright in the Wax Museum to his witty improvisations as a member of Team Reality in Theatre Sports. Both Umesh and Singareddy are seasoned veterans of drama productions and have had to adjust to the new pandemic rehearsal settings. The individual rehearsals are extremely different from the traditional group work.

Rising senior Aayush Umesh bases his COVIDeo on his personal hobbies.

Video courtesy of Northview Theatre

“Since we’re performing one-person shows for ‘COVIDeos’, the process is easier. We usually receive a lot of feedback to improve our pieces, and although the process has been a little different with online feedback for scripts, ideas, performances, and more, we’ve still basically [been] able to do the same things,” Singareddy said.

In addition, the new format of performances has been an educational journey for the actors. Umesh reveals the “COVIDeos” provided more insight into the world of filmmaking as well as the world of solo performances. He admits that although he has previously done monologues for auditions, a solo show is a new experience as the entire show consists of only one actor. To Singareddy, online performances have been eye-opening and enriching. 

“This experience has given me a chance to see what the place of art and performance is in a world that’s really struggling right now. It’s also been a chance to see the therapeutic value of performing because that’s what my ‘COVIDeo’ was for me,” Singareddy said. 

Singareddy is not the only student performing artist who has risen to the occasion. Rising senior Alex Lan is a violinist in Northview’s chamber orchestra. The spring concert as well as other performance opportunities have been canceled due to the pandemic, so Lan has brought his talent online in the form of a virtual concert.

“I think holding online recitals is a good opportunity for me to raise my performance skills since I am unable to attend any actual recitals or concerts during this time. This experience was very memorable in that it gave me a new way to interact with others and bond [with] different people,” Lan said.

The idea originally began as a joke between friends but quickly grew into something much larger. Lan has a practice account under which he posts minute-long videos of himself playing his pieces and showcasing his musical improvement on Instagram under the username @lastchairconcertmaster. He knew that the pandemic was a time when people needed music the most so he hosted a virtual concert on Instagram Live.

“With nothing better to do, I think holding [online concerts] are a helpful way to everyone that is depressed during this time to uplift their spirits by giving a form of entertainment,” Lan said.

Lan took advantage of the extra time at home to practice more for his recital. However, this presented an extra source of pressure to improve his playing in the hopes that it will reach another level once the quarantine is over. 

He prepared his repertoire based on recommendations from his audience, with the final program consisting of the most popular selections, covering a wide variety of great works from 19th-century European composers of the Romantic Era. 

“Although it is hard to cope with the isolationism from coronavirus, this is also a great time to do the things that you’ve never had time to do. I don’t expect to get anything except the enjoyment of my fans. It is a blessing to me to be able to lift the spirits of others.” Lan said.

Although Singareddy, Umesh, and Lan are currently doing their best to prepare for the worst, the Fulton County Board of Education has yet to release the specifics on the logistics of performing arts programs next year. Both the drama department and the orchestra department are awaiting further instructions, but at the moment, it seems that virtual performances may be the new norm. 

“We don’t really know what the policies will be for how many people will be in the theatre, or how those things will work. There are still ways for us to create art and perform as theatre artists, as musicians, as visual artists, or any form of art without the live venue, [but] it’s just harder.” Lake said.