Here, you’ll find content that directly engages with the COVID-19 pandemic. From work created digitally in response to the shutdown, like La Mama’s series Downtown Variety, to advice on digital gathering, teaching theatre, and making work, this is the space for conversation about this global crisis and how to move forward.
The Latest
Essay
Alive, Unwell, and Defending Each Other
by Taylor Leigh Lamb
5 June 2025
Podcast
A Wacky Play About a Global Pandemic That Came True
Theatre in Emergency. A dialogue with Nora Chipaumire (USA) and Chantal Mouffe (UK)
Thursday 3 September 2020
Ghent, Belgium
NTGent presented School of Resistance - Episode Four: Why Theatre? livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 3 September 2020 at 18:30 CEST (Ghent, UTC +2) / 17:30 BST (London, UTC +1) / 12:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 9:30 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7)
Esther Fernández talks about closing the gap that separates classical and contemporary theatre and discusses the piece En otro reino extraño, a polyphonic work composed of scenes from Lope de Vega’s plays; snippets of informal conversations between the actors in Zoom chats; poems transmogrified into electrocumbia, punk, and pop songs; and video montage.
Playwright Hallie Palladino chats with intimacy director Gaby Labotka about how intimacy directors approach scripts, the importance of a well-chosen adverb, and the necessity of innovation, now more than ever, to keep performers healthy and safe.
As artists and companies re-examine the failures of their infrastructures and unconscious biases, Emily C. A. Snyder argues that the lessons learned and challenges faced so far within the field of intimacy direction may be of particular value.
Nicole Stodard and Kaja Dunn, in partnership with the Parent Artist Advocacy League, led a Twitter chat navigating work/life balance and anti-racist activism as a #ParentArtist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barbara Fuchs and Elena Araoz share information about their new projects that attempt to make sense of the transformations to the theatre field and put a call out for artists to help chart these transformations.
Discussing the online performance State vs. Natasha Banina and the state of online theatre
Wednesday 19 August 2020
Boston MA, United States
ArtsEmerson presented A Conversation with Igor Golyak and Wang Chong livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 11 August 2020 at 9 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 10 a.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 15:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 16:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
Charlie Peters, who has spent the early days of the pandemic thinking about and experimenting with how physical comedy can (and can’t) live online, shares what he’s learned.
David Valdes shares the main excuses theatres give when not programming shows created by and with BIPOC artists, how moving to online theatre offers new opportunities, and what the benefits are of making change.
Moderated by Nabilah Said, with panelists Loo Zihan, Teo Xiao Ting, and Jocelyn Chng
Tuesday 4 August 2020
Singapore
ArtsEquator presented Can Critics Criticise during a Pandemic? livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 4 August 2020 at 7:30 p.m. SGT (Singapore, UTC +8) / 8:30 p.m. KST (Seoul, UTC +9) / 12:30 BST (London, UTC +1) / 13:30 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2) / 7:30 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4)
Chloe Hyman reflects on M Sloth Levine’s play Nosferatu, The Vampyr, which she believes serves to dismantle anti-Semitic tropes, due to the fact that Jewishness and queerness are inextricably bound in vampire lore.
allgo and Cara Mía Theatre presented a farm for meme livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2 August 2020, in collaboration with a todo dar productions and Innovations in Socially Distant Performance, an initiative of Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts.
A talk and workshop on the history and presence of the Nipmuc and other Tribes in Ashfield and the surrounding areas
Sunday 2 August 2020
Ashfield MA, United States
The Ohketeau Cultural Council and Double Edge Theatre presented The Living Presence of Our History livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Sunday 2 August 2020 at 9 a.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC -8) / 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 12 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 1 p.m. EDT (Ashfield, UTC -4) / 18:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 19:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in New York
Friday 30 July 2020
New York City
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Richard Schechner livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 30 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in Lebanon
Thursday 30 July 2020
Lebanon
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Dima Mikhayel Matta and Yara Bour Nassar livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 30 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in Indonesia
Wednesday 29 July 2020
Indonesia
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Helly Minarti livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 29 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in New York
Tuesday 28 July 2020
New York City
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Morgan Jannes livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 28 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in France
Monday 27 July 2020
France
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Jacques Rancière livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 27 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
Teresa Coleman Wash reflects on how the current state of affairs has fueled an urgency to interrogate all systems of oppression and argues that it’s past time to stop holding Eurocentric theatres up as the pinnacle of success.
An update on the situation for theatre artists around the world
Friday 24 July 2020
Netherlands/US
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Adelheid Roosen and Melanie Joseph livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 24 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in the United States
Thursday 23 July 2020
United States
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Betty Shamieh and Ty Joneslivestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 23 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
An update on the situation for theatre artists in France
Wednesday 22 July 2020
France
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Philippe Quesne livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 22 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS: Carl Hancock Rux livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 21 July 2020 at 9 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 11 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:00 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).
Moderated by Soultari Amin Farid, with panelists Khin Maung Htwe, Alena Murang, and Jacob Boehme
Tuesday 21 July 2020
Singapore
ArtsEquator presented Tech in Performance: Traditional Arts: The Forgotten COVID Casualty? livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 21 July 2020 at 7:30 p.m. SGT (Singapore, UTC +8) / 8:30 p.m. KST (Seoul, UTC +9) / 12:30 BST (London, UTC +1) / 13:30 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2) / 7:30 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4)
Nisha Sajnani, a drama therapist and educator, offers a few tips to other theatre educators who may be feeling overwhelmed about the prospect of teaching online or in person again this fall.
