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| Spectral Actors and Viewer Voting: German-Language Theater Adapts | Spectral Actors and Viewer Voting: German-Language Theater Adapts |
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| MUNICH — As theaters here tentatively start to emerge from the coronavirus lockdown, now seems a good time to take stock of the artistic responses in the German-speaking world after two and a half months of drawn curtains and empty stages. | MUNICH — As theaters here tentatively start to emerge from the coronavirus lockdown, now seems a good time to take stock of the artistic responses in the German-speaking world after two and a half months of drawn curtains and empty stages. |
| When theaters began to shut down in mid-March, many companies worldwide rushed to put their archives online, inundating cyberspace with video recordings that could scarcely do justice to live performance. Several theaters, however, jumped at the opportunity to innovate with fresh online productions. | When theaters began to shut down in mid-March, many companies worldwide rushed to put their archives online, inundating cyberspace with video recordings that could scarcely do justice to live performance. Several theaters, however, jumped at the opportunity to innovate with fresh online productions. |
| In the United States, “Viral Monologues” from “The 24 Hour Plays” and Richard Nelson’s “What Do We Need to Talk About?” from the Public Theater have been among the sharpest theatrical responses to the coronavirus. Cannily written and cast, they are particularly astute attempts at finding new formats for compressing conventional theater inside the screen of a smartphone or computer. | In the United States, “Viral Monologues” from “The 24 Hour Plays” and Richard Nelson’s “What Do We Need to Talk About?” from the Public Theater have been among the sharpest theatrical responses to the coronavirus. Cannily written and cast, they are particularly astute attempts at finding new formats for compressing conventional theater inside the screen of a smartphone or computer. |
| In the German-speaking world, where contemporary theater is constantly deconstructing itself and redrawing aesthetic boundaries, some directors, not content merely to work at a distance, have taken up new lines of inquiry. What possibilities exist for theater at this moment? Created and consumed by people who never meet face to face, mediated by devices that both engage and distract, how does digital theater resemble analog theater? How can it? Perhaps it makes more sense to think of it as cinema. Or what if it’s a different beast altogether? | In the German-speaking world, where contemporary theater is constantly deconstructing itself and redrawing aesthetic boundaries, some directors, not content merely to work at a distance, have taken up new lines of inquiry. What possibilities exist for theater at this moment? Created and consumed by people who never meet face to face, mediated by devices that both engage and distract, how does digital theater resemble analog theater? How can it? Perhaps it makes more sense to think of it as cinema. Or what if it’s a different beast altogether? |
| Since the pandemic struck, many have turned to Albert Camus’s 1947 novel, “The Plague,” as a literary manual and moral guide to making sense of our new reality. | Since the pandemic struck, many have turned to Albert Camus’s 1947 novel, “The Plague,” as a literary manual and moral guide to making sense of our new reality. |
| The novel, therefore, was not an unexpected choice for Bert Zander, a video artist who directed a five-part adaptation for Theater Oberhausen in northwest Germany. | The novel, therefore, was not an unexpected choice for Bert Zander, a video artist who directed a five-part adaptation for Theater Oberhausen in northwest Germany. |
| Made in various locations around the depopulated city of Oberhausen, the production features specterlike projections of actors who were filmed remotely, then beamed onto surfaces indoors and out, including window shutters, armchairs, blank walls and even weeping willows and reeds, bringing Camus’s pestilence narrative to life. The episodes, each less than half an hour, are available to stream from the German provider 3Sat until November. (The fifth and final episode premieres on Saturday.) Zander effectively crowdsourced the lengthy narration by recruiting dozens of (mostly older) locals who filmed and uploaded their own contributions. Like the theater’s ensemble actors, who inhabit the main roles, the amateurs appear holographically. | Made in various locations around the depopulated city of Oberhausen, the production features specterlike projections of actors who were filmed remotely, then beamed onto surfaces indoors and out, including window shutters, armchairs, blank walls and even weeping willows and reeds, bringing Camus’s pestilence narrative to life. The episodes, each less than half an hour, are available to stream from the German provider 3Sat until November. (The fifth and final episode premieres on Saturday.) Zander effectively crowdsourced the lengthy narration by recruiting dozens of (mostly older) locals who filmed and uploaded their own contributions. Like the theater’s ensemble actors, who inhabit the main roles, the amateurs appear holographically. |
| The production therefore became something of a communal project for the culturally curious who were trapped at home. The result is a faithful and narratively straightforward adaptation that often seems dutiful. | The production therefore became something of a communal project for the culturally curious who were trapped at home. The result is a faithful and narratively straightforward adaptation that often seems dutiful. |
| No doubt, Zander has found a clever and unusual solution to working within the constraints of social distancing, but how does the mini-series relate to theater? With the low-fi projections, tight editing, use of title cards and arpeggio-heavy soundtrack, “The Plague” has a far greater affinity with film or TV than with the stage. In both aesthetic and tone, it often resembled a police procedural. | No doubt, Zander has found a clever and unusual solution to working within the constraints of social distancing, but how does the mini-series relate to theater? With the low-fi projections, tight editing, use of title cards and arpeggio-heavy soundtrack, “The Plague” has a far greater affinity with film or TV than with the stage. In both aesthetic and tone, it often resembled a police procedural. |
| In Zurich, another mini-series showed a vastly different approach. Christopher Rüping, an in-house director at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, has called his coronavirus-era production of “Dekalog” a “theatrical production for the digital space.” | In Zurich, another mini-series showed a vastly different approach. Christopher Rüping, an in-house director at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, has called his coronavirus-era production of “Dekalog” a “theatrical production for the digital space.” |
| Rüping’s chosen subject, a 10-part 1988 series of television films by the great Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski, might not appear to have the same level of immediacy as Camus’s classic text. This isn’t the first time Rüping has sifted through “Dekalog,” in which the themes of the Ten Commandments are explored through stories of ordinary people and their ethical quandaries. He directed a version in Frankfurt in 2013. | Rüping’s chosen subject, a 10-part 1988 series of television films by the great Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski, might not appear to have the same level of immediacy as Camus’s classic text. This isn’t the first time Rüping has sifted through “Dekalog,” in which the themes of the Ten Commandments are explored through stories of ordinary people and their ethical quandaries. He directed a version in Frankfurt in 2013. |
| The episodes, each roughly half an hour, were streamed over four weeks starting in mid-April. In each, a member of the Schauspielhaus ensemble performed a semi-improvised monologue, trailed by a roving, often hand-held camera on one of the theater’s smaller stages. The actors crawled through eccentric sets designed by Natascha Leonie Simons and Ann-Kathrin Bernstetter, which featured balloons, plants, swings and kitchen appliances. Sparse or cluttered, these installation-like environments framed the performers effectively. | The episodes, each roughly half an hour, were streamed over four weeks starting in mid-April. In each, a member of the Schauspielhaus ensemble performed a semi-improvised monologue, trailed by a roving, often hand-held camera on one of the theater’s smaller stages. The actors crawled through eccentric sets designed by Natascha Leonie Simons and Ann-Kathrin Bernstetter, which featured balloons, plants, swings and kitchen appliances. Sparse or cluttered, these installation-like environments framed the performers effectively. |
| In contrast to the polish of “The Plague,” “Dekalog” was insistently rough around the edges, with room for experimentation and error. Live, unscripted and unedited, it was digital theater without a safety net, and often left the actors exposed. In the eighth episode, “Thou Shalt Not Lie,” Josh Johnson, an American dancer, spent half an hour fielding viewers’ questions in English. “Yeah, I’m extremely nervous,” he answered to the camera at one point. If Johnson was lying, he’s a very good actor. | In contrast to the polish of “The Plague,” “Dekalog” was insistently rough around the edges, with room for experimentation and error. Live, unscripted and unedited, it was digital theater without a safety net, and often left the actors exposed. In the eighth episode, “Thou Shalt Not Lie,” Josh Johnson, an American dancer, spent half an hour fielding viewers’ questions in English. “Yeah, I’m extremely nervous,” he answered to the camera at one point. If Johnson was lying, he’s a very good actor. |
| The interactive element was the most unusual aspect of “Dekalog.” Rüping incorporated tools like a chat sidebar and voting, and the episodes could be seen only as they were being made, so that they would be “live theater and not like Netflix’s ugly brother,” Rüping said in an interview. For the time being, a short recap trailer can be seen on Vimeo. The director has floated the possibility of encore screenings, possibly as a binge-watching marathon. | The interactive element was the most unusual aspect of “Dekalog.” Rüping incorporated tools like a chat sidebar and voting, and the episodes could be seen only as they were being made, so that they would be “live theater and not like Netflix’s ugly brother,” Rüping said in an interview. For the time being, a short recap trailer can be seen on Vimeo. The director has floated the possibility of encore screenings, possibly as a binge-watching marathon. |
| If the connection between “Dekalog” and our virus-hit world was less than apparent, Rüping’s insistence on telling these stories nevertheless seemed a way of focusing viewers on their individual responsibilities as moral actors. | If the connection between “Dekalog” and our virus-hit world was less than apparent, Rüping’s insistence on telling these stories nevertheless seemed a way of focusing viewers on their individual responsibilities as moral actors. |
| “Corona put us in a place where we are constantly tested in making decisions for the greater good or our self-gratification,” the director explained. During the livestreams, viewers could vote on what courses of action the characters should take, ranging from seemingly minor choices to full-blown ethical decisions. The interactivity became a way of putting moral responsibility in the audience’s hands. | “Corona put us in a place where we are constantly tested in making decisions for the greater good or our self-gratification,” the director explained. During the livestreams, viewers could vote on what courses of action the characters should take, ranging from seemingly minor choices to full-blown ethical decisions. The interactivity became a way of putting moral responsibility in the audience’s hands. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | Updated June 12, 2020 |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| With this “choose your own adventure” approach to Kieslowski, I suspect that Rüping trusted his audience — the streams attracted an average of 1,000 viewers per episode — to make choices that would propel the plot forward. (Yes, she should listen to her dead mother’s message!) | With this “choose your own adventure” approach to Kieslowski, I suspect that Rüping trusted his audience — the streams attracted an average of 1,000 viewers per episode — to make choices that would propel the plot forward. (Yes, she should listen to her dead mother’s message!) |
| Before each episode, the director explained how to vote and gave his suggestions for maximal enjoyment (close all tabs, turn off cellphones). | Before each episode, the director explained how to vote and gave his suggestions for maximal enjoyment (close all tabs, turn off cellphones). |
| “‘Dekalog’ is a format for the curious, the treasure hunters and for fans of the incomplete,” he said at the beginning of Episode 2, which bore the modified title “Thou Shalt Not Play God” and starred the excellent Karin Pfammatter as a doctor forced to make a prediction with life-or-death consequences. “Anyone who’s in a less adventurous mood,” Rüping continued, “and wants something more complete and less provisional should turn this off now and watch ‘Stand by Me’ from 1986 — which is a really great film.” | “‘Dekalog’ is a format for the curious, the treasure hunters and for fans of the incomplete,” he said at the beginning of Episode 2, which bore the modified title “Thou Shalt Not Play God” and starred the excellent Karin Pfammatter as a doctor forced to make a prediction with life-or-death consequences. “Anyone who’s in a less adventurous mood,” Rüping continued, “and wants something more complete and less provisional should turn this off now and watch ‘Stand by Me’ from 1986 — which is a really great film.” |
| For all their differences, “The Plague” and “Dekalog” shared an insistence on the social aspect of art in performance. At a time when we have been robbed of much of our fundamental human contact, it seems appropriate that directors are finding ways to satisfy our craving for connection. The professional and nonprofessional cast members of “The Plague” have never met, but they were brought together in the artistic world of the project. | For all their differences, “The Plague” and “Dekalog” shared an insistence on the social aspect of art in performance. At a time when we have been robbed of much of our fundamental human contact, it seems appropriate that directors are finding ways to satisfy our craving for connection. The professional and nonprofessional cast members of “The Plague” have never met, but they were brought together in the artistic world of the project. |
| Somewhat ironically, working in isolation recalled to Rüping how theater is, on a core level, a communal act: “It’s easy to get caught up in a discourse of aesthetics, of politics, acting methods. You sometimes lose track of the basics,” he said. “With ‘Dekalog,’ I felt the desire to connect with other human beings and understood how a group of strangers can become a community, even a fleeting one. That’s what it’s all about.” | Somewhat ironically, working in isolation recalled to Rüping how theater is, on a core level, a communal act: “It’s easy to get caught up in a discourse of aesthetics, of politics, acting methods. You sometimes lose track of the basics,” he said. “With ‘Dekalog,’ I felt the desire to connect with other human beings and understood how a group of strangers can become a community, even a fleeting one. That’s what it’s all about.” |