About the project

Details

Virtual Theater Lab
Year: 2020

• Written by: Edward Albee 

• Directed by: Francesca Patrón

• Show Poster by: Francesca Patrón

Starring: 

• A woman in her 90s: Connie Nelson

• A woman in her 50s: Erin Buvala Benites

• A woman in her 20s: Brenna Jackson

In order to adapt to zoom theatre during quarantine, I approached the work as I would a live staged reading. This casual “living room” style of theatre aided to the unorthodox nature of zoom. Rather than recreate the essence of theatre on a virtual platform, I instead sought out to create a feel of three women telling their stories around a campfire. Simple, vulnerable, and heart-wrenching. I felt focusing on the words alone gave the text a new power. The protagonist holds the weight of what had gone unsaid throughout her whole life… I hoped that in this new storytelling platform, we could give her a chance to finally acknowledge the stories of shame, pain, and truth she had carried for so long.

I stripped back most technical elements in order to let the three actors carry the story audibly. At a time when we all struggled to focus, I attempted to hold the audience accountable to slowing down enough to listen without distraction. I wanted to explore the idea of memory, storytelling, and what mistakes haunt us for the rest of our lives.

Three Tall Women