Theatre in the Time of Corona: How this Actor and Behind-the-Scenes Specialist is Keeping Busy
Thomas Burns Scully
It’s strange to be in New York during the time of Coronavirus and the social distancing it brings, particularly as a theatre maker. Knowing that Broadway is dark, Off-Broadway silent, and the million smaller theatres that populate the city are empty feels unnatural. But the people who make theatre happen are still here… so what are they getting up to? We checked in with HanJie Chow, indie theatre maven and Broadway behind-the-scenes specialist, to see what his approach to the shutdown has been.
For those unfamiliar, HanJie is the star of Lady Lucy, the innovative podcast drama in which he voices multiple characters, written and directed by Rachel Jarvis, and based on Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’ sonnets. He was recently the lead in the Off-Broadway run of Last Gasp written by Jeff Smith and directed by Dan Dinero. Offstage, he is also a key player, serving as the Costume Shop Associate for many of your favorite (or soon to be favorite) shows at the New York Theatre Workshop. He has been integral to the look and feel of shows like Sanctuary City, written by Pulitzer winner Martyna Majok, and the (now Broadway bound) stage adaptation of Sing Street by John Carney (creative mastermind behind the hit musical Once). He also served as Production Photographer for the acclaimed Off-Broadway run of KPOP at Ars Nova, another show now headed for the Great White Way.
With this heavy-hitting background behind you, what do you recommend to artists currently in dry-dock?
I think the first thing to do is remember that the art is not gone. Yes, the majority of our industry is out of work.. It’s unprecedented, and we have to somehow continue hustling to make ends meet, but fundamentally, our art has not gone away. Thousands of years of theatre doesn’t evaporate overnight, and now is as good a time as any to brush up and experience it. Read those classic plays you’ve been putting off, the Met Opera have opened up their archives for streaming… heck catch up on those critically acclaimed TV shows you’ve been putting off (I finally got done with all five seasons of Schitt’s Creek). Live performance is gone for a moment, so what better time to appreciate it in all its forms?
Watching classic productions and checking out good TV is all well and good, but what about contemporary theatre?
I think it’s important now to consider the companies hardest hit by this shutdown. These are going to be small independent outfits and non-profits who have invested heavily in shows that they are now likely going to lose with little chance to recoup losses, not to mention the opportunity for the associated artists to showcase their work. Prime example, NYTW just ended its acclaimed run of Endlings two days after it opened, and Sanctuary City, which had barely two weeks of previews before it came to a close. A decent number of them, however, have found their way over to @theatrewithouttheatre on Instagram. They’re a page dedicated to bringing those cancelled or stalled productions to at home audiences via remote performances, with the option for viewers to donate money. I’ve enjoyed some great stuff the last few days, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre’s production of The Siblings Play is particularly good. And that’s just one outlet of many out there doing great things to showcase indie-theatre.
What can I do personally to keep myself fresh as an artist?
Reconnecting with other creative outlets has been particularly good for me. I’ve rediscovered my love of puzzles, and reading purely for pleasure. This time has been very grounding in that way… at least so far, ask me again in a couple of weeks. I might be singing a different tune when cabin fever sets in! Do whatever you’ve always wanted to try, or something you've missed doing. This might be the time to learn that instrument, write that poem, or give crocheting a go. If there’s one resource we all have in spades right now… it’s time. Use it!
How are you staying connected to the industry as a multidisciplinary theatre maker?
Well the costuming side of things is somewhat tricky right now. Being out of work is a little tough. However I’m fortunate in being able to continue recording remotely for Lady Lucy, as well as looking forward to jumping back into the costume shop for the anticipated production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters with Sam Gold at NYTW. It’s a new translation by Clare Barron (Dance Nation), with an unfathomably talented and stellar cast, so I’m taking this chance to prepare for the inevitable stress of it all! Right now is also the perfect time to trawl through publications like Backstage and start researching upcoming productions or submitting video auditions for summer stock. It’s easy to forget that these projects are being cast months in advance. And whilst the industry is on lockdown right now, productions for the next season are being discussed and planned. Proactivity!
What sentiment do you think will carry theatre artists through this difficult time?
If anyone knows how to make a crisis functional, it’s theatre people. Nothing ever goes perfectly, but whether it’s rehearsal or opening night, the show always goes on. If the costumes get torn, we patch them; if an actor drops a line, another picks it up; if the lights fizzle, we speak in the dark and pretend that was the point all along. Times are going to be tricky, but we’ve had the skill set all along to get through this. It’s never easy. But it’s always doable, and we’ll get through it as a community.
The stages are still waiting for us, the theatres haven’t been bulldozed… all we need is the all-clear and we’ll be right back in there.