N.Y. (WKBW) — Despite a pandemic, the Spring show at Tonawanda High School still went on.
"The goal with these students is always to build a family aspect, because that is what theater is," Dan Lynch, producer of Almost Maine at Tonawanda High School said.
The Tonawanda middle/high school theatre program and drama club performed Almost Maine this past weekend. It wouldn't have allowed an audience, so the play took place over zoom using virtual backgrounds and lighting tricks.
While this wasn't ideal, it gave seniors the chance to perform and let their families see them.
"My grandma can't get out of the house so the fact that she was able to see me perform for the last time was really special," Senior Haylee Morris said.
This type of virtual performance is something Amherst Middle School will do in a month, to continue their thirty plus years of musicals.
"It's not ideal but it's what we could do to continue the program at our school," Erin Ayer, director of Amherst middle schools musical said.
Their performance of a "Dear Edwina, online edition" will be thirty minutes. The show is entirely rehearsed and performed virtually. The best they can do to keep the arts alive in schools.
"One of the most beautiful parts of this whole experience is we could engage with each other outside of the classroom for something we all feel passionate about," Ayer said.
The Amherst Middle School production will debut on March 3rd. Tickets can be found here.
