'Couchical'? Performers create online videos for Lincolnshire's Marriott Theatre
The show cannot go on for theaters around the world right now. But the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is one of many theaters working with performers to create online content until they can safely welcome back live audiences.
"We wanted to work toward continuing outreach to our audiences and continuing to give performers things to do," said Marriott Theatre associate artistic director Peter Sullivan. "And I wanted to keep our social media alive."
When the Illinois stay-at-home order went into effect in March, theater officials sent out emails to current and past performers to see if they were willing to volunteer their time by creating and editing their own YouTube web series.
Des Plaines actress Susan Moniz was set to star in the title role of Marriott's revival of "Kiss Me, Kate." But since her "side-hustle" business was tied to baking, Marriott approached her for a cooking show.
"We're all hunkering down a lot more than expected," said Moniz, adding that a baking series was a natural.
"In the Kitchen With Kate" allows Moniz the chance to tout her business, Artesão Cookie Molds. Moniz shows off not only her elaborate cookie-decorating skills, but also her custom-sculpted silicon baking molds.
The Chicago husband-and-wife performing team of Christopher Kale Jones and Jenna Coker-Jones came up with a comedy series called "Couchical." They tap their hazy memories (and Wikipedia pages) to perform condensed versions of musicals from their living room couch.
"It's so important to keep the musicals alive and keep performing theater, even though it's video," Coker-Jones said. "With our show, what we like to do is kind of marry that 'Drunk History'-style humor with musical theater."
There are already irreverent "Couchical" versions of "The Sound of Music" and "Beauty and the Beast." Jones' 6-year-old daughter, Presley, and the family dogs make cameo appearances, while a forthcoming "Couchical" is set to feature "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star Stephanie Beatriz as a guest.
Marriott's children's shows are also represented with Lake Zurich native Allison Sill starring in the kids' web series "What's the Buzz With Buffy Binkleman." Buffy is a supporting character in the Marriott musical "The Princess and the Pea," and so Sill has led kids in storytime, crafts and the science of why soap is important in hand-washing.
"I asked Peter if he could get me Buffy's wig and dress, and then we were off," Sill said. "I wanted to make sure that this was something that was not only creative for kids, but also educational."
Chicago actress Cassie Slater wasn't as lucky with the shutdown. Her early childhood music and theater business Stomp and Shout Kids had its contracts with schools canceled. So Slater created an interview series called "Dynamo Dish" featuring her Marriott "Mamma Mia!" co-stars Danni Smith and Meghan Murphy.
"I was in a place feeling a little stunted," Slater said. "I was not quite sure what to do and wanted to talk to other artist friends about their livelihoods and creative outlets."
Recorded via Zoom, "Dynamo Dish" will feature remote interviews with other Marriott performers including Evan Tyrone Martin, Alex Goodrich, and husband-and-wife Michael Mahler and Dara Cameron.
"I am grateful to have this (series) to work out some of the questions I was grappling with," Slater said. "(The Marriott) giving us space and seeing value in these conversations that we're having is really wonderful."