What Does COVID-19 Mean for Troupe 60?
The onslaught of a new school year riddled with COVID-19 related difficulties has resulted in complications for extracurriculars. Boulder High’s Troupe 60 recently had a meeting discussing the new board members, hypothetical plans for the year and how they hope to successfully navigate this troubling time while also maintaining the community they cherish so dearly.
The main concern of this year is as such: how does one run a theater and create productions when there is a need to maintain a six-foot distance and wear masks? The members of the board expressed their own opinions on the evident difficulty this year will bring, and how they will try to make the best of it. Although the previously annual Haunted House has been canceled this year, Troupe 60 still intends to have their Black Box performance—a show in which upperclassmen get to direct their own skits and perform them for an audience. The current plan for the theater is to have a sort of “virtual black box,” in which the directors and actors must be creative in following necessary safety guidelines, such as performing through a screen. This presents a definite challenge for everyone involved; however, it also has the potential to result in some very interesting and inventive stories.
The issue with these virtual shows is that it leaves very little space for the tech crew to participate. Normally, everyone is operating within their specific tech crews in respective areas of the theater, making communication and the operations themselves run smoothly. However, with everyone confined to their individual spaces and lacking the materials within the theater, there is little room for opportunities to engage in the production. Crew members have expressed concerns as far as this goes, stating that they are apprehensive about the evident lack of crew involvement they saw as the shows were announced.
This year will definitely be a challenge for Troupe 60, but it will be interesting to witness how they overcome these issues and make the best of the situation. The spring musical and its possibility of occurring has still yet to be announced, but will hopefully be decided upon within the upcoming months due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic.
Lex Dembo is beginning her third year as a part of The Owl’s staff as Editor in Chief. Last school year she was the editor of the arts and entertainment section, and this year she is excited to take on a higher leadership role. Lex is a passionate writer and is looking to pursue journalism outside of her high school career. Having been a part of the staff for so long, she hopes to make a lasting impact on the publication before she graduates. She is a member of the varsity swim team and Troupe 60 and enjoys being involved in extracurriculars where she gets together with her peers. In addition to being interested in school activities, she is also very passionate about politics and current events....
