With restrictions to live theater in professional and community settings, artists have been forced to think outside of the box, creating live and virtual experiences for audiences to enjoy until they are able to reopen. IVCC’s Theater Department is no exception.

Starting with a short musical video last spring to pay homage to what would have been the 2020 Spring Production, Legally Blonde the Musical, the department has gone entirely online, providing variety shows for streaming, via the IVCC Fine Arts Facebook and Youtube pages. According to Dr. David Kuester, the theater professor at IVCC, “Theatre and technology have always had a symbiotic relationship. During this challenging time we were happy to be able to turn to technology and the technical arts skills of our students to be able to produce theatrical products in a virtual format. These formats and skills allowed us to keep a visible presence in the community.”

In October, the theater produced its first feature length virtual production with Terror in the Aisles, a seasonal favorite consisting of tales of terror, just in time for Halloween. The show featured IVCC students, alumni, and community members reading short monologues, as well as a compilation of musical numbers to close the show.

For the holiday season, the department produced Cool Yule: The Big Fat Holly Jolly Covidian Christmas Special, in which they brought a modern twist to the ironic holiday specials of the 60’s. The show featured classic holiday music, as well as a number of short comedic sketches and monologues. With the use of green screen technology, the virtual performances were able to utilize vibrant and cinematic backgrounds, while maintaining the charm and personal touch of live theater.

With the spring semester beginning, the department plans to continue using virtual productions for the time being, with hopes of returning to live theater in the fall. The spring production has not yet been announced. However, when it is announced, audition and production information can be found on the IVCC Fine Arts Facebook Page.