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Live theater returns in Raleigh
Burning Coal Theater Company will hold their first in-person performance since the COVID-19 closures began.
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6 NC counties are under alert. Details
Burning Coal Theater Company will hold their first in-person performance since the COVID-19 closures began.
EVEN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MORE SUMMERTIME STORMS. NOT EVERYONE WILL SEE RAIN BUT TEMPERATURES ARE ON THE WARM SIDE BACK IN THE LOW 90s MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. >> FEELING LIKE JUNE. >>> THEATER STAGES HAVE BEEN DARK SINCE THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE IN RALEIGH. WE WILL TALK WITH THE COCREATOR OF THE FIRST IN PERSON STAGE PRODUCTION PLANNED FOR RALEIGH TONIGHT. >>> LIVE THEATER IS BACK IN RALEIGH . TONIGHT THE BURNING COAL THEATER COMPANY WILL HOLD THE FIRST IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE SINCE THE COVID-19 CLOSURES BEGAN. >> JOINING US IS BRONWEN CARSON THE COCREATOR AND JOE REESE, AN ACTOR IN THE PRODUCTION. THE MORNING TO YOU BOTH. >> GOOD MORNING. >> TELL US ABOUT THE PRODUCTION. >> THE PRODUCTION IS AN IMMERSIVE PHYSICAL THEATER AND PERFORMANCE ARTS PRODUCTION ABOUT THE MECHANISMS OF THE MIND. IT IS MOSTLY NONVERBAL. WHEN WE SAY IMMERSIVE THERE'S STILL MARKINGS OF SIX FEET AWAY FROM EACH CHAIR. IMMERSIVE IN ATMOSPHERE BUT NOT IN PROXIMITY. WE WERE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THE COMMONALITIES BETWEEN PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO FOCUSING ON TOPICS BECAUSE THAT CAN REALLY -- WELLINGTON REHABILITATION AND HEALTHCARE, MY COCREATOR WANTED TO ADDRESS THE ROAST TO THE ART OF PHYSICAL THEATER AND ART. JOE IS ONE OF OUR WONDERFUL ACTORS. >> JUST THE CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL THEATER WHEN WE ARE ALL PRACTICING PHYSICAL DISTANCING. HOW WILL YOU LOOK IN THE THEATER? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE EVEN ALLOWED IN THE THEATER AT ONCE? >> WE HAVE 10 AUDIENCE MEMBERS THAT ARE PLACED KIND OF ALL THROUGHOUT THE SPACE AND THERE'S GLOW TAPE THAT KIND OF MARKS OFF THE SIX FOOT DISTANCE AREA. IT IS REALLY INTERESTING FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE AUDIENCE MEMBER BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE SIX FEET AWAY FROM SOME OF THE ACTORS BUT YOU MIGHT BE 30 FEET AWAY FROM THE NEXT CLOSEST AUDIENCE MEMBER. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. >> ACTORS FEET OFF THE AUDIENCE SO THE FACT THAT THIS WILL BE A NEWER EXPERIENCE FOR YOU, WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? >> ODDLY ENOUGH DESPITE THE DISTANCE AND ALL THE VARIOUS RESTRAINTS WE HAVE, THE CONNECTION. HAVING THE AUDIENCE INDIVIDUALLY PLACED REALLY MAKES FOR A SUPER INTIMATE THEATER EXPERIENCE. I DO THINK THE CONNECTION IS BIG. IT'S ALSO -- I ALSO REALLY WANT TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE TAKE FROM IT BECAUSE AS WELLINGTON REHABILITATION AND HEALTHCARE WAS TAKING IT IS MOSTLY NONVERBAL . THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS GET TO FILL IN A LOT OF THE BLANKS FOR THEMSELVES. THERE IS MEANING BEHIND THE THINGS GOING ON, BUT IT IS NOT EXPRESSED EXPLICITLY TO THE AUDIENCE. THEY GET TO KIND OF FILL IN THE BLANKS WHEN A COURT COMES TO THE MEANING AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT. >> WELLINGTON REHABILITATION AND HEALTHCARE, DID YOU HAVE TO PRODUCE A DIFFERENTLY THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WOULD BE SPACED OUT AS IT IS AND CONSIDERING THEATER IN A DIFFERENT WAY AS A RESULT OF THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS? >> WE LIKE TO REFER TO IT AS OUR DANCE WITH ANTHER PAY WHICH HAS CHANGED ME AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER AND IS GOOD TO FORCE ONE'S MIND TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF REALLY FIXATING ON THE PROBLEM. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GREEK CHORUS IS CALLED THE GUIDES. THEY WERE ORIGINALLY NOT IN MASKS BUT NOW THEY ARE. JUST KIND OF COMING UP CREATIVELY WITH IDEAS AND MAKING SURE THE AUDIENCE FEEL SAFE WAS PARAMOUNT FOR US. WE ARE TAKING TEMPERATURES, ESCORTING PEOPLE IN AND IT IS GIVING THIS VERY COOL FEELING OF A CEREMONY. DEFINITELY MAKING SURE PEOPLE STAY SAFE AND FORCING OURSELVES AS CREATURES TO REALLY A TEST OR INTUITION AND IMAGINATION. >> YOU ARE OFFERING VIRTUAL TICKETS. >> IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND CLICK JUNE 29. THERE IS A POOL OF VIRTUAL TICKETS AND YOU WILL BE SENT A LINK TO THE FULLY STAGE SHOW THAT HAS BEEN EDITED AS A FILM AND A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOW WE MADE THIS DURING THE TIME OF COVID. >> BRONWEN CARSON AND JOE REESE, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND BREAK A LEG TONIGHT. THIS IS VERY EXCITING AFTER WEEKS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO.