Children’s Theatre of Charlotte leaders talk COVID, kindness and creativity
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to roil the arts world, including groups like Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
In a recent interview, the theater’s new managing director, Nao Tsurumaki, and artistic director Adam Burke discuss the challenges — and opportunities — that the coronavirus has presented and what’s to come. Tsurumaki was named managing director last month, after working in a similar role at a Florida theater company. Burke was hired in 2013.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, what were you considering as an organization and what changed immediately?
Burke: We had already started creating higher-quality archival shoots of our productions, so we took a couple of those and immediately started editing.
We were just about to move into OnStage, (which connects students in its School of Theatre Training with a professional experience). We decided not to cancel this but moved to four virtual Zoom productions. They were such a great time for those students, even virtually That’s the first thing we were trying to figure out was how we can maintain service to the community, and that’s been our mantra through the whole process.
Q: What are some concerns with offering virtual productions?
Tsurumaki: Not too long ago, I got to watch the virtual production of “The Velveteen Rabbit.” I was a little bit skeptical. When delivered virtually, digitally, it sometimes just loses that emotional connection. But (my family) started watching, and my 6-year-old made it all the way through, and he was absolutely glued to the TV. My wife and I had watched multiple virtual shows over the past several months, and we looked at each other and said, “We can really get behind this. This is a quality experience that we would love for many others to actually experience.”
Q: Your 2020-21 season centers on community and kindness. Why is that important now?
Burke: I think a lot of things informed the idea — the civil unrest, the pandemic — but we don’t generally create themed seasons. When we started The Kindness Project, it was born out of the 2016 presidential election. We looked around and saw how we adults were responding to each other. It was not nice. We started the project to create productions in which a moment of kindness changes the outcome of the protagonist of the story. I can’t imagine a time where we need kindness and community more than right now.
Q: What are your greatest challenges now?
Burke: Having the time and the resources to experiment with what might be a new delivery method, which is virtual, and still trying to better understand that need for abstract thought and creativity. And how we use that medium to engage young people. I think we know how to do it really well in the classroom, in the studio, and in the theater. And we need resources and time to experiment with this new delivery method.
Q: Nao, can you talk about the opportunities you see here, as a newcomer?
Tsurumaki: Children’s Theatre has built a solid track record as a national-level theater for young audiences. I know there are a lot of topics and new methods, and platforms that we’re talking about right now, but I think the core strengths are exactly that.
Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and has an impressive variety of industries and interests. There really has never been a more important time to inspire and connect people, not just young people, but also their families and educators. And not just within the traditional walls of where theater usually happens, but quite literally outside that box.
Q: What concerns does this increased virtual reach raise? Does it seem overwhelming?
Burke: At the beginning of the pandemic, when we started talking about virtual productions, people would light up and say, “This means that the whole world becomes your audience.” And I said, “Yeah, that also means the whole world becomes everybody’s competitor.” Our competitive advantage right now is that we have strong relationships that already exist with school districts and with patrons. Here, they trust us; we’ve delivered.
Q: What are the continued financial needs of the organization?
Tsurumaki: Generally, funding continues to be a concern, although we are grateful for the COVID-related relief funds that we have received, like the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan, CARES Act funding and now another grant (for shuttered venues from the U.S. Small Business Administration) that is in progress. We are tracking every opportunity closely and trying to set the course responsibly.
The gig workers have been hit the hardest — a carpenter that we might hire part-time, the backstage crew that we’re not hiring right now because we’re not producing in-person shows, the seamstresses. We’ve lost 90% of our income, but we’re making do. And our community has turned around and continued to support us with these funds. I have to give a huge shout out, and thank you to the Charlotte City Council, the Mecklenburg County Commission and Thrive funders.
Q: What will the theater-going experience look like in the future?
Tsurumaki: Even with vaccines, it will take months before the entire community feels comfortable sitting shoulder to shoulder like we used to. We’ve implemented a series of safety measures to minimize contacts and risks for students and teachers and staff.
But we’re definitely discussing protocols for when we do reopen and house live audiences. Seating (changes), masks being required, hand sanitizers, but also smart strategy around getting patrons in, around, out of the theaters. We’re also paying close attention to what usually is an exchange, like tickets, so everyone can experience the theater safely — not just patrons but also the staff and volunteers and artists.
This story is part of an Observer underwriting project with the Thrive Campaign for the Arts, supporting arts journalism in Charlotte.
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