>> THE PERFORMING ARTS HAVE BEEN HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
SINCE MARCH, STAGES FROM BROADWAY TO THE BERKSHIRES HAVE BEEN SHUT
DOWN.
THE BERKSHIRE THEATER GROUP IS TAKING A MAJOR STEP TOWARDS WHAT
THEATER MAY LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE BY HOLDING A PRODUCTION
OF THE MUSICAL, GODSPELL, OUTSIDE IN A TENT NEXT TO THE
COLONIAL THEATER.
"CONNECTING POINT"'S ROSS LIPPMAN VISITED PITTSFIELD TO
SEE HOW THE SOCIALLY DISTANCED VERSION OF GODSPELL CAME
TOGETHER.
>> THE COLONIAL THEATER IS ONE OF THREE HOMES TO THE BERKSHIRE
THEATER GROUP.
IN SEASONS PREVIOUS TO 2020, THE COLONIAL WOULD HOST THOUSANDS OF
VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> WELCOME.
>> THIS YEAR, NOT ONLY ARE A LOT LESS VISITORS ALLOWED TO SEE THE
PRODUCTION OF GODSPELL -- >> I'LL DO A QUICK TEMPERATURE
SCAN.
>> BUT THE SHOW ITSELF ISN'T TAKING PLACE INSIDE THE THEATER.
IT'S HAPPENING THROUGH THE THEATER, AND INTO THE BACK,
WHERE GODSPELL IS PERFORMED OUTSIDE.
>> WATCH YOUR STEP.
>> UNDER THE TENT.
♪. ♪.
THE SHOW HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO
REFLECT THE TRIALS OF 2020.
>> THEN ANOTHER SAYING I WOULD NOT BE RETURNING TO SCHOOL, BUT
THAT I WOULD BE ATTENDING ZOOM UNIVERSITY.
>> THE CAST IS BEING QUARANTINED FOR THE DUR 80'S OF THE
PRODUCTION -- THE DURATION OF THE PRODUCTION.
SO WE HAD TO TAKE OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM VIRTUAL.
WE'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW OVER ZOOM BECAUSE YOU AND I CAN'T
TALK IN PERSON.
AND I JUST THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IF YOU AND I CAN'T TALK IN
PERSON, HOW DOES A PLAY WITH MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED GET DONE IN
THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
>> EXACTLY, HOW DOES IT GET DONE, IT GETS DONE WITH A
THEATER WHO IS WILLING TO PUT IN THE TIME AND MONEY.
>> TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE LOVE TO DO ON ANY CAPACITY, YOU KNOW,
WHATSOEVER, IS INCREDIBLE.
ON A SECOND LEVEL IT MUCH MORE CLOSE TO HOME FOR ME BECAUSE
IT'S HAPPENING IN MY HOME TOWN.
>> EMILY COOK AND MICHAEL W. ARE PART OF THE EIGHT-PERSON CAST
FOR GODSPELL, MAKING HISTORY.
THEY ARE THE FIRST EQUITY UNION ACTORS IN THE COUNTRY TO PERFORM
SINCE THE PANDEMIC SHUT DOWN BROADWAY AND ALL OF THEATER IN
MARCH.
>> IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL, LIKE ON TWO LEVELS I WOULD SAY.
THE FIRST IS JUST THAT AS AN ACTOR AND ARTIST FROM ANYWHERE
IN THE COUNTRY I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS RIGHT NOW FOR THINGS NOT
TO BE UP AND RUNNING.
>> FROM THE CAST QUARANTINE PRIOR TO THEIR ARRIVAL IN
PITTSFIELD AND NOW CONFINED TO JUST THEIR HOME AND THE STAGE,
GODSPELL HAS BEEN A MARATHON, THREE DAYS A WEEK THEY UNDERGO
COVID TESTING, AND THE PRODUCTION ITSELF HAS BEEN
REINVENTED TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF JASON WEXELMAN.
YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SO MUCH IN ORDER TO MAKE WHAT EVERYONE
SEES ON STAGE COME TO LIFE, AND ON TOP OF THAT YOU'VE BEEN ADDED
THE BURDEN OF EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING IN
THE PANDEMIC.
WHAT HAVE YOU HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO MAKE GODSPELL POSSIBLE?
>> WE HAVE A FAVORITE PHRASE THAT WE SAY, COVID HOLE, ANY
TIME THE ACTORS I FEEL THE ACTORS MAY NOT BE SAFELY
DISTANCED FROM ONE ANOTHER.
>> WE WEAR MASKS, WE REMAIN 6 FEET OF EACH OTHER, WE HAVE
THESE PLASTIC PARTITIONS BETWEEN EACH OTHER WHEN WE SING IF
THERE'S EXTRA SPRAY.
WE STAY ABOUT 10 FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WHEN WE SING, THE
AUDIENCE THEMSELVES, THE FIRST ROW IS 25 FEET FROM THE FRONT
STAGE.
>> THE TENT WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED TO HOLD 100 PEOPLE PER
SHOW, THAT WAS BEFORE GOVERNOR BAKER HAD TO REDUCE THE CAPACITY
FOR LARGE GATHERINGS IN HALF DOWN TO 50.
THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASE IN COVID CASES FROM
JULY.
THAT NOW MEANS THE BERKSHIRE THEATER COMPANY HAS HALF AS MANY
TICKETS BEING SOLD.
BUT THE CAST AND CREW ARE STILL BEING PAID THE SAME AMOUNT.
GODSPELL WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO RUN UNTIL SEPTEMBE.
BUT HAS BEEN EXTENDED AN ADDITIONAL TWO WEEKS.
IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN RESUME IN NEW ENGLAND.
WHERE LOW COVID NUMBERS SUPPORT CERTAIN PLACES REOPENING.
>> IT MAY ALSO PROVE TO BE A RUBERIC FOR HOW THE SHOW CAN GO
ON IN A POST COVID WORLD.
>> WE'RE BLAZING THE TRAIL FOR OTHER PRODUCTIONS TO GET TO OPEN
AND THAT WAS OUR GOAL, WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO DO IT
IMPERFECTLY AND FIND OUR WAY, BUT THAT THIS PROJECT THROUGH
ACTORS EQUITY THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL THEATER WAS GOING TO
BE ABLE TO HELP OTHER PROJECTS OPEN.