CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Lemont High School Drama Club’s annual fall production will go on this weekend, as usual, but in this COVID-19 era, it’s going to be done much differently. It'll be done virtually.
The production includes two comedic features, "Left To Our Own Devices" and "Replacing Linda", which were written specifically for virtual theater performances.
"Really, it was no choice for us to go virtual. We knew that theater is important for our students and that it needed to continue," said one of the directors, Leslie Kane.
"There’s no suspension of disbelief. 'Oh, these two are pretending to be in the same room.' None of that, because everything is meant to be filmed virtually."
Andrea Briestensky, 17, said it was great being able to do additional takes for the recorded production to get it just right, but she said, "being on stage is definitely more rewarding."
Bella Petkus, 18, is one of the actors and was glad to be doing a theater production, again.
"I’m just really glad I got to see my friends again and, like, work with them in the shows," she said.
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Director Leslie Kane said the theater at Lemont High School seats about 800 people, and while only a quarter of the seats are usually filled on nights of the performances when done live, in-person, by doing the show via Zoom, "we have an unlimited capacity, which is wonderful."
Tickets for the Lemont High School Drama Club performance are on sale online at www.showtix4u.com.