There is no surprise that theaters all over the world have had to adapt there 2020 and 2021 seasons. Eastern’s Theatre Department is no different as they put on a popular French comedy written by Molière.

“Tartuffe” was written in the 1600s and focuses on religious hypocrisy as well as the family dynamic. While the show illustrates heavier content, it is a comedy at heart. The show is a classic; however, Eastern is doing it with a twist. Curt Himmelberger, director and professor at Eastern University, has translated the show to make it more relevant and adaptable to the Zoom format. Instead of the traditional French comedy, the university will be performing “Tartuffe in Quarantine.”

“Because I knew I was going to do a virtual production, I actually wrote a new translation,” Himmelberger stated. “I feel that sometimes audiences aren’t as engaged in watching a Zoom show, especially when the actors are pretending to be in the same room but are clearly on different Zoom screens.”

While the show is adapted to this new age and life that we are currently living, Eastern’s production will still hold most of the show’s original properties. “I’ve translated the Molière text to be like a family in a Zoom call, in a pandemic, in 2021,” Himmelberger said. “So, the text used to say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to leave the room now,’ it now says, ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to sign off now.’”

Eastern will be doing the first production of “Tartuffe in Quarantine.” The cast is made up of 10 actors ranging from freshman to seniors. While “Tartuffe” is typically a male dominant show, Eastern’s cast consists of all women. “When talking about traditional shows, there are some of the most iconic, classical roles that are almost always played by men, so why can’t a woman play Hamlet and now, why can’t a woman play these famous French characters?” Himmelberger stated.

The cast has been rehearsing completely on Zoom in addition to the production being performed on the virtual platform. “There are some difficulties with rehearsing on Zoom, especially Zoom fatigue. If students are in Zoom class all day long, you’re worried that you might have technical difficulties with people’s Wi-Fi, and you don’t have the experience of being on the same set together in the same room; however, from my perspective, there have been a lot of good things to come out of this rehearsal process.” Himmelberger said.

Himmelberger explains that as the director, he has tried to keep the rehearsals light and fun, limiting the number of actors in every rehearsal to limit Zoom fatigue. He also suggested that virtual rehearsals may even benefit students because they can jump on calls at the last minute from the comfort of their rooms, making rehearsals much more manageable for students. “Tartuffe in Quarantine” will be performed on Mar. 25, 26, and 27. The production will be free for all students and family; however, there is a $5 suggested donation. Audience members can purchase their tickets online and will receive a Zoom link to view one of the performances. For more information, visit eastern.edu/tartuffe.

On Friday, Feb. 5, SAB held a virtual paint night for students to explore some creativity while maintaining social distancing. SAB advertised this event by telling students to join as a professional guides them step by step to paint their very own masterpiece.

Over the week, the club set up a table and was handing out paint kits to students who wanted to partake in the virtual fun. According to SAB, there were roughly 100 paint kits handed out to students. These kits included brushes, watercolor and paper. The only supply that students were responsible for were cups of water.

The event was held through a live YouTube of a watercolor tutorial that gave step by step instructions on how to paint a city skyline. The night appeared to be a success and what better way to destress than to paint!

That same weekend, SAB also held another virtual event of a TikTok trending game: Among Us. According to the “New York Times,” Among Us is a “multiplayer game where between four and 10 players are dropped onto an alien spaceship. Each player is designated a private role as ‘crewmate’ or ‘imposter.”

The purpose of the game is trying to complete a variety of tasks while also trying to root out and avoid elimination by the imposters. The game is all about survival and is simple enough for anyone to play.

Among Us has been around since 2018, however, the game only grew in popularity during the pandemic. YouTube streamers and TikTok influencers made the game all the rage. Kids and teens were not only watching their favorite stars play the game, they started to play as well. As Among Us grew in popularity, the game not only served as a fun way to pass time, it was also another social platform for people to connect with one another.

The game was a perfect way to build a sense of community on Eastern’s campus during these lonely times. SAB is trying their hardest to build a sense of companionship and community through these virtual events. Previous events include virtual karaoke and ice skating. Students can look forward to more events this semester such as self-care day, family feud, paint-a-pot, Mardi Gras, international fest, spring fest, talent show, spring dance and field day!

Sources: New York Times

Image Description: The city skyline that the video instructed students to paint is pictured above. While the picture looks elegantly simple, watercolors are exceptionally tricky to get just right, but are a great stress reliever. 

Elizabeth Sulecki, a junior on Eastern’s campus, has been an artist for years, but she hadn’t always known of her artistic calling.

When Sulecki was a little girl, her mom did what every parent did, put their child on a sports team; however, Sulecki had no interest in sports. “I would
sit in the dirt and literally do nothing,” Sulecki said. Despite this, her mother never got the young girl involved in anything else. For years, the artist had no exposure to the artistic world.

It wasn’t until the eighth grade that Sulecki finally had the opportunity to pursue what she found interesting. Her artistic journey began in middle
school with an art elective. Sulecki’s education then transformed into visual art throughout high school where she studied photography and graphic design. Sulecki learned about online artistry and graphic arts, furthering her knowledge when she began to really work with her hands.

It wasn’t until her senior year that Sulecki fell in love with the fine arts. “I would visit my friend in her AP art class, and I started to create colleagues and draw. That is when I really started to get into it. I started drawing at home and buying all the supplies to create new pieces.”

At this point in her artistic journey, Sulecki primarily dabbles in the painting medium. Her artwork focuses on the abstract versus reality. The artist explains that she likes to play with objects, shapes and people to make them unique. “I like obscuring things and making them seem like they are from a different reality.”

Sulecki hopes to continue creating new work in the future as a tattoo artist. She has just recently started to dabble in this art form. “I just bought the supplies to do stick and poke tattoos and I’m really excited. I think tattooing is a really cool way to keep making art.”

Sulecki says that the best way to get involved in art is to take art classes in school. One of her biggest regrets is not getting involved in the arts sooner. “I feel like everyone should be required to take an art class. Art is a great way to give people opportunities to express themselves with different outlets. I feel like it would be beneficial to make students take art in middle school and high school.”

The artist uses her work as an outlet through difficult times, allowing her to express feelings that she otherwise wouldn’t. While she does paint for fun, she also finds that even when she doesn’t mean to, the brush strokes are freeing from emotional distress. “It’s just a good way
to get your stress out, even if it’s for fun.”

Sulecki did not always know that she wanted to be an artist, nor did she have the direction until much later on in her life. Despite her strayed journey, Sulecki has finally found her path and calling. The artist hopes to bring her work into the light as she continues to create new things and find the hidden pockets of obscurity among the realities of this world.

Yoga has become a popular form of exercise and meditation with the combination of physical postures and breathing techniques. However, many people don’t realize the dedication and time that yoga requires.

Yoga not only requires flexibility, but also requires physical and mental strength. Many poses require flexibility to achieve, but physical strength is necessary to perfect jump throughs, arm balances, and inversions. Strength is built through practice and exercise; however, even masters of yoga work hard every day to improve their strength, both physical and mental.

This type of exercise is challenging for the mind as well as the body. Yoga challenges us to be present in the moment, connecting with our bodies and our Earth. In this world of technology, mindfulness and connectedness can be difficult to achieve. Society has adjusted to multi- tasking, often working on several projects at a time.  Yoga, on the other hand, challenges us to be aware of how our body feels, where we are breathing, where our mind wanders to, and how we are connected to the world around us.

The mind and body practice requires a certain discipline, just as any other art form. The different branches of yoga challenge us in different ways,
requiring different points of focus. According to Medical News Today, yoga uses the image of a tree to convey its spiritual message and connections to the Earth. The six branches include Hatha, Raja, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Tantra. Each branch focuses on different goals such as
positivity, selfishness or wisdom.

While yoga can vary in levels from beginner to advanced, it takes years to master the art. Yogis need to practice flexibility, breathing and focus. There are 13 different types of yoga that are rooted in different beliefs, movement, and focal points. People start doing yoga for a variety of reasons, but one of the main interests in yoga is for health.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, yoga provides health benefits such as improving sleep patterns, balance, and relieving stress. Studies have shown that yoga is beneficial for stress management, promoting healthy eating and activity habits, and mental or emotional wellbeing. While there are potential negative effects of yoga if done incorrectly, the benefits to physical and mental health are far greater.

Yoga requires more from us than people often realize. There is an art to perfecting a pose or breathing technique. The art of yoga takes practice, patience, and dedication, as well as the desire to further bodies and minds.

Sources: Medical News Today, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Lights went out on Broadway and stages all over the world when COVID-19 made its debut. Since then, theaters of all levels have been trying to come up with solutions to minimize the suffering of productions and performers due to the aftermath of the closures. While New York City has shut down their theaters before, specifically after 9/11, they have never been closed for such an extended period of time. Theaters, large and small, plan to remain closed until 2021.

According to CNBC, in 2019, Broadway had more than $1.83 billion in ticket sales; however, in 2020,
Broadway only reached $300 million in ticket sales before shows were forced to close. The same article
also states that 1,100 actors and managers in the Actor’s Equity Association lost work due to shows
such as “Frozen,” “Beetle Juice” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” deciding to shut their productions for the foreseeable future. These shows are not planning to reopen once COVID-19 is under control.

Shows, on and off Broadway, take an enormous amount of money to produce. With attendance rates in
question, theaters are unsure whether or not to reopen their shows to the public. After the incredible financial struggle that theaters have faced, some are not in the position to take such a risk. While Broadway fanatics are dying for shows to announce their plans, many are unsure whether they will attend the first productions back on stage.

As everything else that has reopened after COVID-19 closures, some people are more skeptical than others to be interacting in public. Some people may purchase their tickets as soon as theaters announce opening dates, but more likely than not, a majority of people will hold off on taking their seats, especially in New York City, where COVID-19 cases were at an alarming high when the pandemic first arose.

As theaters plan to reopen in 2021, there are still questions regarding what health and safety regulations
will be put in place for both performers and audience members. According to the New York Law Journal,
many doubt that Broadway theaters will reopen under strict social distancing requirements because of the risky investment that these shows are under normal circumstances.

The cost to put on each production will likely surpass sales on limited, socially distanced seats. Many theaters question whether shows will be profitable when they reopen, or if they will be barely breaking even. Furthermore, the New York Law Journal also argues that even when Broadway theaters are able to open at full capacity, there may be some conflict with the unions that represent theater workers.

While many theaters plan to reopen in 2021, it is unclear if these productions will be able to do so safely.
David Michaels, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, claims that
in order for theaters to reopen, there needs to be control of COVID-19, modified spaces and procedures and the ability to identify infected individuals.

According to The New Yorker, since the live theater industry may be one of the last to bounce back after  the pandemic, the financial impact is incalculable. The article also states that the industry has suffered from the deaths of actor Nick Cordero and Tony Award-winning playwright, Terrence McNally. Both died from the coronavirus while theaters were shut down.

It is hard to say when theaters around the country will be able to open their doors again. Performers,
producers and playwrights alike all remain hopeful that the stage lights will shine again and this time, brighter than ever.

Sources: CNBC, New York Law Journal, The New Yorker