UFV’s second virtual theatre production to hit Zoom next week
The second theatre production of the 2020-21 season is Pariah (The Outcast), written by August Strindberg, and adapted and directed by Parjad Sharifi. Pariah is a one-act, two-woman play that will be performed over Zoom on March 24, 25, and 26 at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 2 p.m. Be sure to book your tickets in advance over the Eventbrite page to support your local theatre. The Cascade had the opportunity to talk with Sharifi, along with cast member Sarah Wack to discuss their experiences directing and starring in this virtual play.
Sharifi chose the show because of its condensed length. Recognizing that viewers watching a play online get distracted easily, keeping the play under an hour was important. Sharifi also chose this play due to his interest in Strindberg’s playwriting, which was influenced by Nietzsche at the time. Strindberg’s expressionism and his attention to ethics and morality also drew Sharifi to Pariah.
The performances will follow the same format as last semester’s production, Antigone with students performing their parts from their own homes. This necessitated the two cast members, Wack and Ashy Pearl, to be much more involved in behind-the-scenes work than in ordinary productions. Things that would normally be left for crew members, such as setting up lighting fixtures in their spaces and determining the best camera angles for their scenes, have fallen to the actors. Wack expressed that one of the challenges of being in the play was the sheer amount of screen time she had to endure, as she had to attend hours of rehearsals a week on top of her online classes.
One of the challenges for Sharifi was learning the language of virtual directing and how to use Zoom as a medium rather than the physical space of a theatre. He worked hard to adapt and define the roles of all of those involved — the actors, stage manager, and production designers — for the virtual realm. As well, he had to adjust their learning outcomes, as all those involved in the play are doing so as part of a for-credit theatre course.
UFV has taken a challenging path by choosing to stream a live show for viewers instead of pre-recording a play as other school productions have chosen to do. Sharifi said they took on this more demanding production route in order to keep the spirit of live theatre alive even in a pandemic.
“I would love for the audience to take away the idea that humans are resilient and that art is resilient,” said Wack. “This is such a crazy time we are living in now, and there is something so profound in the idea of creating art anyway, even if it’s in a different form or style than we’re used to. There is something really powerful in that and the ability to storytell even in extraordinary circumstances.”
Instead of re-watching your favourite show on Netflix this week, support your local theatre program by attending Pariah. You can also sit in on the post-performance talkbacks after the show to engage more with the show’s themes, to ask any questions you may have for the cast or crew, or to debate the fascinating questions Strindberg’s play asks about truth, morality, judgement, and punishment.
Sarah Wack. (Sarah Wack)
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.