When our theatres were closed during the pandemic we weren’t able to offer a production, so we thought it would be fun to create a small project for you to view at home.
From A Distance is 10 brief scenes exploring a marriage, and how a couple grapples with different ways of responding to the pandemic. Stewart Arnott and Susan Coyne play Neil and Brenda.
We kept it simple. We recorded it on Zoom, each in our separate homes, each scene improvised.
It was challenging to create something on Zoom. Before the pandemic none of us had heard of Zoom, and now for many of us it is our workplace or lifeline. We tried to embrace its gifts, its limitations, and its reliance on unpredictable wifi. It was another lesson in acceptance and surrender.
It was also scary and challenging to give ourselves the task of exploring this relationship and story through improvisation. Stewart and Susan rose to the challenge even when we weren't sure where we were going. We had to trust that we would find our way.
I hope From A Distance captures a moment in this historic time, and on a medium that will forever be associated with this pandemic.
- Rena Polley
Reviews
“From A Distance is beautifully Chekhovian. … It’s full of the most subtle detail. There are pauses, sighs and moments of quiet emotion … two actors as gifted as Stewart Arnott and Susan Coyne … and Rena Polley’s direction is terrific … this is one of the best digital theatrical experiences that I’ve seen in a long time.”
- Lynn Slotkin Slotkinletter
Viewers Comments
“It’s a new kind of theatre of reality… beautiful, heartfelt performances … it was so real you felt you were eavesdropping on an ordinary married couple… congratulations on taking Zoom to such a creative level… It left me wanting more… beautifully done and very well conceived… a little painful at times as one recognizes a few similarities … the closed door in one household is a rich and evocative metaphor… such honest work; I was drawn in time and again … It was like eavesdropping on our deepest fears, often unspoken even to those closest to us … surprising, moving, frustrating, believable … moving, poignant, unbearable, understandable … From a Distance, is one of the best zoom shows I’ve seen in a year … I couldn’t take my eyes away from it and was utterly engaged in the story … Images, moments and feelings will sit with me for a long time … A tender and so human piece.”