Creativity in Quarantine
May 24, 2020
At the end of every day, my husband asks a seemingly innocent question: “So how’s the book coming?” He’s not referring to the book I’m reading, but the one I’m supposed to be writing.
For the last three years, my excuse for not writing the book about what I’ve learned about leadership was always the same: I’m too busy. Too busy working for clients. Too busy flying around. Too busy performing Erma Bombeck. Too busy being, well, busy.
And then, like everyone else, my busy life changed. No more excuses.
Except this one: Finding creative inspiration in quarantine has been a challenge for me.
Unlike many of my friends whose creativity has blossomed by sewing masks, building bookshelves and cooking like master chefs, my creative outlet has always been found in words both spoken and written. Shakespeare might have written masterpieces during the plague, but I’m stuck on the same page, cursor blinking.
Steve Rosen, an actor and writer originally from Pittsford, has mastered the art of creativity in quarantine by continuing to write and produce. He is spending his days working on theater projects with his writing partners via Zoom, and he turned one of his stage productions — "Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors" — into a podcast reminiscent of old radio shows for the Broadway Podcast Network. It featured some great talent from Broadway, including Laura Benanti and John Stamos.
“Performers are storytellers and theater is the oldest type of public storytelling," Rosen said. "We have to keep moving forward and find a way to keep telling stories in this moment.”
Kasha Davis is performing for fans through her Facebook and Instagram Live versions of her Story Time Live, which she used to perform at Blackfriars Theatre in Rochester. She writes, “After a moment of pouting and complaining about what’s not the same and there’s no real audience, I got over myself and looked into the camera and shared stories.”
The artists at Geva Theatre Center have retooled their creative platforms for the pandemic by bringing together favorite performers on virtual Happy Hours and podcasts hosted by dramaturg Jenni Werner.
This quarantine has brought some of the most inspiring performances into my home, from Meryl Streep singing for Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday celebration to the cast of "Moulin Rouge" performing a can-can on Mother’s Day from their couches to raise funds for Broadway Cares.
Still, nothing stirs my creative juices like the experience of storytelling told live in a communal setting. In early March, I saw a magical production of "Uncle Vanya" in London, an incredible metaphor for a life in quarantine. And the last play I saw live was "Once" at Geva Theatre Center. In both theaters I was able to share a communal heartbeat with the audience and the performers, the memory of which has helped me through some dark moments in this quarantine.
To ensure that we have communal theatrical experiences to come back Geva Theatre Center is planning a virtual version of its annual gala on June 5 to benefit the theater and also Foodlink. I’ll be MCing the gala that night, even running a virtual paddle call. www.gevacurtaincall.com
My own creativity has always been inspired by our arts institutions, so I can only hope that our community will be inspired to ensure they will all be here for our future. And maybe the experience will help jump-start me to get writing, finally.