Performing and Prospering in a Pandemic

One day in early March, Stevenson Performing Arts teacher Jaclyn Silvestri logged in to her fifth period Improv class. As Silvestri waited for class to begin, her students, one by one, arrived virtually to the call and asked Silvestri if she rode a motorcycle. In asking their teacher if she rode a motorcycle, students -- Max, Olivia, Jeremy and Persephone -- showed off skills they had learned in Improv, like establishing character and escalating the “game” of a scene.  The gag represented the kind of fun that Stevenson performing arts students have been having over the past year.

“My classes give the space for students to feel like things are normal, even if they're taking place through computer screens,” Silvestri said, crediting the spontaneity inherent to the performing arts for keeping things fresh. “In fact, I've been surprised at how normal my classes have felt in spite of the remote learning situations.” 

As Broadway has remained shut down and people have been unable to go to the movies, the show at Stevenson -- streaming on chromebooks, from the school building to homes all around New York City -- has continued apace, with three notable highlights underscoring just exactly what can be accomplished in a pandemic.

First, three of Olivia’s class projects were official selections of the COVID-19 International Student film festival last spring. Olivia’s accepted submissions included an original PSA about wearing masks, writing and performing an original children's story, and an original "Quarantine Exercise" video.

Over the summer, Jeremy won a monologue competition at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Jeremy’s monologue was performed by Gaten Matarazzo, an actor most known for his work on the television show Stranger Things. Jeremy’s monologue began as an extra credit assignment for Silvestri’s class.

“Honestly, my inspiration was Jackie,” Jeremy said. “She told me to write a monologue about the lizard portal being opened. I kind of went from there. In the beginning, we did do a big brainstorm of ideas, but lizard portal was the winner!”

“It was full of whimsy and all the excellent Jeremy-energy that makes them a joy to work with when they're on stage, so I was glad to see that they were recognized,” Silvestri said. “It was important to see Stevenson's performing arts recognized by a Broadway theater.”

Later in the summer, Persephone and Jeremy starred in a remote production of The Bride of Dracula, a humorous take on Dracula's quest to find a wife, directed by Silvestri. Persephone shined in the lead role.

“It was a lot of fun playing dracula over Zoom,” Persephone said. “I found dracula's shyness really fun to act out.”

“One of the best things about Persephone as a performer is that she is never trying too hard when she's on stage - she's super natural and affable, and it makes her wonderful to watch in performance,” Silvestri said. “Her portrayal of Dracula was astutely underplayed and not too campy - I think her earnesty sold the performance, which made all of the other characters in Dracula's world seem appropriately over-the-top.”

Silvestri credits both Jeremy and Persephone for being open minded, for being open to performing over Zoom, rehearsing extensively, wearing silly costumes and wigs, and taking direction well. 

As the first full year of hybrid learning inches to a close, Silvestri and her students continue to experiment and have fun, investigating the DADA and Surrealist Theatre, movements inspired by a pandemic over a hundred years ago.

“The currency of DADA, or the deconstruction and reconstruction of words and images, feels very relevant to this 2020-2021 school year,” Silvestri said.