Community, Care, and Theatre During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Publication Date
Fall 2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Music & Performing Arts
Department
Theatre and Dance, Department of
Faculty Mentor
James Al-Shamna
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic forced theatre practitioners to confront a fundamental question: what happens to theatre when audiences and performers cannot gather in the same physical space? The global shutdown pushed theatre artists to reimagine performance through digital platforms, socially distanced productions, and community-centered practices. As performance venues closed worldwide in 2020, artists and educators turned to livestreamed readings and Zoom productions to continue creating work. These adaptations did more than preserve the art form; they redefined the meaning of theatrical “liveness.” Digital collaboration created new forms of connection that emphasized empathy, accessibility, and collective care while also transforming theatre pedagogy and community engagement. Pandemic-era theatre practices demonstrate that meaningful theatrical experiences do not depend solely on physical proximity but rather on shared attention and intentional participation between artists and audiences. This research highlights how artists transformed isolation into opportunities for connection. The innovations that emerged during the pandemic ultimately expanded theatre’s possibilities as a space for community, healing, and creative collaboration.
Recommended Citation
Boggs, Conner, "Community, Care, and Theatre During the Covid-19 Pandemic" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 684.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/684
