This year, the Marymount Players experienced theater like never before: virtually! In a whirlwind of green screens, costume shipments, and colorful Zoom backgrounds, the 2021 production of Bye Bye Birdie was born. 

I played Albert Peterson in the show, a music producer whose career starts to go down the drain when his only client, popstar Conrad Birdie, goes into the army. When we started rehearsing for BBB, I had no idea what the process would entail. From the get go, however, I could tell that it would be far more challenging than performing in person. Reading lines on Zoom made it far more difficult to connect with the other actresses in scenes, as we couldn’t make eye contact with each other or share emotional moments the same way we could’ve on stage. Standing in the same place in front of a green screen for hours became exhausting after a few rehearsals, and setting up the proper lighting for filming days was a feat of its own. 

As we faced these new challenges, however, the Marymount Players adapted and overcame. We learned where to look into the camera to create the illusion of eye contact, and were able to laugh together on screen the same way we would have in person. We modified our schedules so that we wouldn’t be standing for so long, and recruited the help of our parents and friends to ensure that our filming setups were perfect. And more than anything, we had fun. 

Going into it, none of us were entirely sure if we would be able to have our usual Players fun on Zoom. But I can wholeheartedly attest that we did. We joked, we missed our cues and laughed about it, we had special Zooms to make sure that we created bonds between grade levels, and we even got to film a few scenes on campus towards the end of the process. 

I’m incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished and grateful to have had this experience going forward. I’ve learned that when it comes to theater, and art in general, where there’s a will there’s a way. And if there’s one thing the Marymount Players have, it’s a will to perform.