COVID-19 has extremely impacted the entertainment industry. For those who are unaware, our industry relies heavily on social gatherings and many companies are canceling shows for the safety of our community members. I didn’t realize how devastating it could be to have your show canceled until I saw my fellow artists, some who are working on their senior projects like myself, having their shows canceled and losing their job. My final show, The Crucible, was supposed to go into tech this Thursday and open in less than 2 weeks, but our ASU President placed a 30-day hold on all ASU events. I sat in limbo, anxiously waiting, to hear if our show would be canceled or postponed. On Friday, I received an email that The Crucible would open in the Fall of 2020.
Amidst the chaos COVID-19 has had on the entertainment industry, I am amazed by how strong our community remains. I have seen people supporting each other through storytelling activities, FB groups about show cancellations, Zoom craft sessions and karaoke, etc.
A friend from my Summer internship did something that I found helped me through this period of show cancellations: “the creation of live performance is often already emotionally and physically taxing, and losing weeks or months of work is overwhelming and heart wrenching. So I want to hear about your show that was supposed to open tonight, your concert next week, or your improv show that won’t get its final weekend. Tell me about the big show you were really excited to work on, or the summer season that is now in limbo. I will celebrate this work with you, and grieve the work that has been postponed or cancelled” (Miranda Waldron).
In light of recent global events, Miranda's words ring true to my heart. So, please share with me something that may have been postponed or cancelled for you that you really cared about, whether it's theatre related or not! For example, our 17th Annual Tempe Town Lake Dragon Boat Festival was cancelled this year and this news was extremely devastating for our team. Our team worked really hard this year with monthly pergs, physical training practices each week, and water practices to prepare us for the end of March's festival.
So, with ASU’s transition to online courses for the next 2 weeks, I started self-quarantining a few days ago and, not gonna lie, it can be emotionally draining not to physically interact with my friends and FOMO is hitting harder. If anyone is feeling the same way please feel free to reach out to me and chat! I would love a buddy to talk to or video chat (Google Hangout, Zoom, etc.). Currently, I’m trying to combat these feelings with divulging in activities that I haven’t been able to participate in all semester because I’ve been busy: cooking, baking, and watercoloring! Today, I made some cinnamon blackberry muffins and no-bake energy bites that were yummy. Here are the recipes if anyone wants to whip up something in their kitchen:
As we navigate our personal experiences through this pandemic, I just wanted to let my community know that I am here to support you! Stay safe out there and don't forget to wash your hands :)