With the ongoing pandemic drawing the curtain on the vast majority of the performing arts, innovation has been a necessity. Theatre companies across the country have been finding new avenues to present their works, whether that be digitally or through safer, controlled conditions on physical viewings. It’s no surprise then that Halifax’s theatrical keystone Neptune Theatre has been developing their own means for sharing work with audiences once more. With the announcement of the new Neptune At Home program, theatre fans are going to be able to get their fix despite closed doors. I sat down with artistic director Jeremy Webb to find out a little more about this initiative.
“We turned our Scotiabank stage into a TV studio for a month,” Webb began. “And of course, as you know, we are so used to putting on live theatre in our spaces and we’d never really ever thought Neptune theatre would turn into a TV production company- and nor will it- but we’re dipping our toes in just to stay connected.”
The ability to make such a space transformation is definitely an advantageous position that the regional institution has over smaller theatres and companies, but Neptune At Home is largely to the benefit of these parts of the community as well.
“It’s our job. I see at as our job to support, nurture, and participate in the broader theatre community.”
One of the most obvious aspects of Neptune At Home that supports the theatre community is the Fringe-Binge series. Composed of a selection of Halifax Fringe archival recordings, it gives a chance to relive some hits from the festival, with a library that “will be constantly updated”, and puts the majority of the ticket price right in the artists’ pockets.
And it’s not just theatre artists that are given opportunities through Neptune At Home – the Centre Stage Concert Series highlights some east coast musicians in stunningly captured performances.
“We chose artists that we know and love from here in the Maritimes that are really on the rise, and that I thought our audiences would love to see in an intimate setting”; upon receiving an “f-bomb laden” email from Christina Martin brimming with positivity after seeing her performance back, Webb says it “was a really good feeling that we knew we were onto something.”
Thankfully, funding bodies for theatre and the performing arts have been flexible in these necessary changes. With countless artistic groups not rehearsing or presenting works for the first several months of the pandemic, it’s understandable for anyone to be eager to get back to things.
Webb echoes the cautious point many have taken up over the past year. “I can’t really see us getting back to how it was before, and to be honest, as a lot of people have said, maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
Certainly, the new endeavours of Neptune At Home and similar programs address issues of accessibility that many hadn’t focused on before. Not only is the program more financially accessible than traditional subscriptions, but it allows those who are unable to get to venues or who may be immunocompromised to still enjoy productions, points that the artistic director says “vitally important” and “a really good step forward into our changed world.”
Some may be skeptical of this new avenue of theatre. Jeremy Webb is no stranger to the computer fatigue many are exhibiting this year, heightened by play readings through Zoom. But for the moment, it allows Neptune to stay connected to the public while maintaining safety protocols. With future seasons (tentatively summer ’21) having the potential of integrating with Neptune At Home through added benefits of behind-the-scenes and interactivity, Webb is optimistic about the endeavour.
“We built it. We’re hoping that they come. And I don’t see the reason why it can’t just be part of our new world.”