Plan-B Theatre Company: The Audacity
While many shows are not going on as a result of event cancellations, one scheduled theatrical performance is doing the best it can to put that old theatrical maxim to the test. It’s just going on in a very different form than what was initially planned.

Plan-B Theatre Co.’s production of Jenifer Nii’s play The Audacity casts April Fossen as six characters—spanning from a century ago through the present day—addressing the challenges facing women at those different historical moments. Instead of playing before a live audience, the production will be filmed live.  Ticket holders will receive a link and password for exclusive access to the stream March 28-31; it will then go public at planbtheatre.org on April 1-5.

In part, it was the fact that this is a one-woman play that allowed it a chance to go forward. “We’re an unusual situation,” Fossen says, “because I’m the only actor, and [it’s possible for there to be] only three people in the studio.”

Fossen acknowledges that she has very little experience acting on film, but does not anticipate that this new approach to the show will change her approach to the performance. And while it’s difficult for Fossen to think about performing without the live audience, she’s grateful that an era of online connectivity allows some way for The Audacity to find an audience.

“I’m glad that there’s still a way to make the content available, because I want people to see Jen’s script come to live,” she says. “This time allows us to put stories out there even for people outside of Utah to see. … Watching people turn to the arts as something they can spend time with is a bit of a solace, to know that what we do is comforting in some way.”