When theatres found themselves needing to pivot to stay connected to audiences, the majority took the technological leap forward into streaming services and further developing works for online consumption. Theatre New Brunswick, however, is taking a step back with their latest old-school approach. The company has announced Post Script, a theatre project that will be sending the story right to audiences’ mailboxes.
Developed by Joanna Bryson, Matt Carter and Natasha MacLellan and limited to 100 participants, Post Script has ticket-holders choose from three narratives. Over the course of six weeks—beginning on April 5th—individuals will receive correspondence from an “unknown friend”. The limited participants stem from the handwritten nature of the project, which is undoubtedly a charming novelty in a world that has all but killed snail mail, and highlights the connectivity Theatre New Brunswick seems eager to foster.
“We miss our audience, a lot,” states artistic director Natasha MacLellan. “We usually see a lot of friendly and familiar faces during a regular season at TNB, and we know how much theatre means to many of them.”
The program’s organizers are hoping that “Post Script will help satisfy the craving for the type of intimate story experience only
theatre can deliver.”
This project comes as a follow-up to Theatre New Brunswick’s endeavour early into the pandemic last year. Dear Rona-Letters from Lockdown encouraged those in the community to send in communications to the theatre about how they were doing with the strange new reality. Through this, they received letters, postcards, visual art, videos, and scripts, and the wealth of responses are now serving as inspiration for the upcoming piece.
Post Script is one of the more interesting cases of “Is it still theatre?” that has come out this past year. Despite there not being any acting to view, it is still sharing a narrative through the actions and words of someone who is both actor and writer; a sort of space is created that the performer and audience shares in the writing and reading of the letter. In a way, the format of this resembles old play-by-mail roleplaying games, both creating a world through the simple act of sending letters.
It is still abundantly clear that audiences miss the true theatrical experience. Many endeavours are still being attempted in areas unable to hold performances, and there is a desperation to scratch the itch. Post Script shows a desire to keep theatre creators and audiences closely connected, not only speaking but listening to their distant supporters. The intimacy of this exchange, as well as the back and forth that Theatre New Brunswick has created with Post Script and Dear Rona, may be the artistic connection a lot of people have been waiting for.
Audiences can choose from the three available postal storylines:
Post Script #1:Self-Love and Solitude
In this script, we follow one person’s journey to self-love. After the dissolution of their marriage, they are forced to cope with aftermath of change. COVID further disorients their routine and introduces them to a world of solitude.
Post Script #2: So Much Time = So Much Art
The timeline is neither short or certain. Each of us are separated but globally connected through a shared experience. In this story, our character struggles with their own creativity, senselessly comparing their productivity to others, while searching for meaningful connection.
Post Script #3: Just Slow Down!
We live in a fast-paced society that prides productivity and hard work. Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss the subtle pleasures in our environment and be fully present. In this piece, our character finds the space to slow down and reflect on what they are grateful for while searching for ways to engage with nature and keep their mind sharp.
Tickets can be purchased online via eventbrite.