Oakton theatre is known for its fantastic fall shows, put on by drama three and four students. These shows take hours of rehearsals and hard work from the cast and the crew. But now in a time of uncertainty, how is Oakton Theatre adapting to create amazing shows within a pandemic? 

This year Oakton Theatre is putting on three fall shows. And at the beginning of every show, there are the auditions, and in a pandemic it is no different. Since drama has their classes through Blackboard Collaborate like the rest of Oakton, they have had to make some adjustments. To audition, the drama students signed up for certain characters they wanted to read for. They would read through certain scenes with their camera and microphone on. 

Rehearsals are one of the most essential parts of creating a show. “As far as I’m aware we will be doing rehearsals through various programs like Blackboard and Google Meets,” says Matthew Foltz, drama 3 student. Everything right now is up in the air. If drama ever does get a chance to rehearse in person or even put on a show with an audience, they will have fewer people in each scene to accommodate with COVID restrictions. 

One of Oakton Theatre’s upcoming shows, Winter Break, is not going to be live for an audience to enjoy. Instead, the drama department is planning on filming the show. Another one of their shows is a radio play which will be virtual. The third show was said to be an in person event, but nothing is set in stone.

The drama department at Oakton is living in a time of uncertainty like the rest of us. They may or may not get a chance to rehearse in person. And even their one live show may end up being virtual. But the show must go on. Filming the shows will still give us a chance to enjoy the amazing productions that Oakton theatre has put on in past years.