A stage play — The Cherry Orchard — originally designed as a live production by Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) students was produced online following the move to remote teaching, accentuating the role and urgency of live theatre among actors and directors.
The production, which captures the spirit of an artistic home swept by the currents of technological advancement, is a 21st-century adaptation of Anton Chekov’s 1904 play where a Russian aristocratic family is on the brink of losing their estate to powerful historic forces at the turn of the 20th century.
“Unexpectedly, the play really became a reality,” said play director Ann Woodworth, associate professor at NU-Q. “When I think about this experience, it amazes me because I couldn’t have done the project without the technology, so the irony of that is not lost on me.”
Earlier in the semester, Woodworth spent several weeks with her students conducting research; casting characters; developing dynamic storylines; and building a stage.
“I think that’s why everybody was excited — because all of this work had finally gotten to the point where now we could just dig in and make the play happen,” she explained.
For the students, the interruption of that journey after spring break, when the decision was made to shut down all schools and universities in Qatar, was responsible for both technical and emotional difficulties. “The transition to an online platform lacked the real feel of acting and excitement at the beginning, as our homes are not the perfect spaces for such a thing,” said Sahar ElKabbash, a last year student at NU-Q.
She also expressed a common sentiment shared among her peers in the class who were in their last year at NU-Q. “We were especially attached to the live performance because many of us are seniors and this is our last play with Ann,” she said, while others added that it was the only opportunity they could find to join the popular class before graduating.
Despite these setbacks, the work of adjusting the play to the needs and language of an online audience, starting with renaming the project to The Cherry Orchard – Quarantined, was a rewarding process for the group in and of itself. “That was a very freeing moment actually,” Woodworth noted.
“Once we said it out loud — once we titled the play with that term — then I think it was easier for all of us to kind of embrace the project in the direction that it was going, rather than continuing to fight to make something happen that was only going to happen in a live theatre.”
Reflecting on this experience, sophomore Afnan Tag noted, “I was surprised I am this attached to The Cherry Orchard and to the team. Then I realised that it’s because of this attachment that I was able to feel inspired again and continue to move forward with the new approach; it made me as excited as I was before the crisis.”
