PONDER & PIVOT: A Look Back at the IRT’s 2020-2021 Season

It's been well over a year since our March 2020 shut down. We've pivoted from in-person productions to a 6-play virtual season. We just launched the final production in our season, The House That Jack Built. To say that it’s been a very full year at the IRT is an understatement.
 
Collectively, we've learned and grown in more ways than we could have ever imagined. As we share gratitude with our audiences for being with us on this wild virtual ride, we also give thanks to all of our staff who have been on the inside of that ride: from the Theatre or their homes, in-person or by Zoom. We have asked our staff to share how their work has changed over this last year, and what’s kept them going. Here are just a few notes from various members of our talented team.
 

James Still, IRT Playwright-in-Residence
 
How has the very nature of your work changed? What's been the most challenging part about this season? What's been the most rewarding experience in this season? 
As a writer, I’m no stranger to disappearing for weeks or months at a time as I fully immerse myself in whatever world I’m inventing, in the stories that characters are revealing to me. That mysterious adventure always requires a kind of solitude for my process to unfold. But because I’m in deep conversation with the stories that characters are revealing to me—I feel alone but not isolated during that process. So the nature of my work hasn’t changed. What’s been challenging is that for all of the solitude and alone time (pre-pandemic), eventually I would open the door and walk out into the world and once again embrace the intensely collaborative work that marks the theater as a unique artform. Since March 2020 the “world” available to me has all been in “rooms” on Zoom with humans in boxes reflecting back at me from my laptop screen. And while I have been grateful every single day for whatever technology has allowed any sense of community, these many months have been marked by a sense of isolation—which is very different from that sense of aloneness that I know as a writer.  
 
Most rewarding experience of the IRT season? 
For me, it would have to be our production of my play THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. Even though I couldn’t be there in person, I was at many rehearsals as well as the tech process via Zoom and YouTube. And while it wasn’t my favorite way to interact with my work and with collaborators, it was something and I was grateful. Another thing that was rewarding about it (and surprising) was that I realized I have spent most of these months during the pandemic working with lots and lots of people I’ve never met in person. The majority of the digital projects I’ve been doing (and I’ve done dozens) have been with collaborators who were new to me. I wonder if I will ever meet any of those artists in person? With THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT I knew almost everyone involved and had history with them—and that brought a kind of calm I haven’t felt for many months. Plus for me it’s always joyful to have a play at the IRT and to share my work with the IRT audience. The difference this time, of course, is that I won’t ever be in the room with the audience when they watch JACK via streaming on demand. I will miss that in-person interaction with audiences.
 
Outside of work, how have you personally maintained your creativity and/or found inspiration in this last year?
Again, from my perspective, being creative and/or inspired isn’t an option. As a writer I usually can’t wait for inspiration to strike—I am cultivating that inspiration 24/7, always at the ready when it happens but spending more time simply doing the moment-to-moment work required by an artist committed to my craft. In some ways it has felt like I’ve been writing to save my life—and while that sounds like hyperbole, there’s truth to it! I’ve written until my fingertips nearly bled! Much of what I’ve written has been a total surprise to me, stories and characters demanded my attention that might not have otherwise. In addition to writing, I’ve done a lot of mentoring projects where I’ve worked with younger writers and directors around the country. I celebrated receiving the Indiana Authors Award for my trilogy THE JACK PLAYS. I welcomed the other prizes and workshops and festivals that my plays have been part of over these months. I’ve listened to lots of podcasts on my daily walks in my beautiful neighborhood in Los Angeles. I’ve watched hundreds of streamed digital theater content. I’ve cooked delicious dinners. And I’ve turned to my meditation and yoga practice to keep me from total despair. One of my yoga teachers used to offer a mantra that has come in handy during these many months. Whenever we were holding a long, challenging pose she would encourage us to “stay interested”. I’ve taken that to heart and through the ups and downs of the pandemic I’ve told myself again and again: stay interested. And so I have. And so I am. 

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Jennifer Turner, Director of Development
 
How has the very nature of your work changed? What’s been the most challenging part of this season? What’s been the most rewarding experience this season?
The fundamentals of my job have stayed intact during this year of twists and turns. My job is to work with a wonderful development team and IRT leadership to help connect individuals and organizations with a passion and resources for the mission of the IRT with bringing that mission to life. What has been challenging is that theatre is about being in the room with the story telling. At its very best people are seated together experiencing the art with the actors on stage, but a pandemic that requires social distance doesn’t allow for being in the room. We had to find new ways of reminding individuals and organizations that what we do best (telling stories that engage our hearts and minds) is still happening and that when the time is right, we will be back in the room together again. What has been the most rewarding is that while I can get as ZOOMed out as everyone, any time I was able to gather donors with the artists via ZOOM there was still that magic of coming together—even if it felt different this year.
 
Outside of work, how have you personally maintained your creativity and/or found inspiration in this last year?
I have explored as best I could through this past year within the confines of the world we were living and that exploration created opportunity for creativity and inspiration. I explored by reading more novels than I can recall reading in a year in a long time. The ability to shift in and out of different stories, places and times can be transforming, which is why I enjoy theatre so much. I also explored parts of the state I never knew existed before. Being outdoors was crucial to me, and with my trusty AllTrails app I found trails and a variety of hidden gems that I didn’t know Indiana contained. I also learned some new things—no baking for me, not really my forte—but I learned to rock climb, went backpacking, snowshoeing and even up took a Bollywood dance class this spring as things began to open. Making time to explore and learn new things will be something that I will carry beyond this crazy year. The picture included is from a recent trip to Puerto Rico. As things continue to “normal,” it is fun to take these explorations to new destinations and find delight in all the wonderful things.

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Geoff Ehrendreich, Properties Shop Manager
 
How has the very nature of your work changed?
In the past the Prop Shop has been able to solve lots of details by direct face-to-face conversations with Directors, Actors, Designers, and Stage Management. Now the work is primarily done through emails, photos, and phone calls. The process is slower and sometimes a lot harder to get clear understanding of the adjustment needs.
 
What's been the most challenging part about this season?
Shopping has been the biggest challenge in the Props world. I’ve done more online ordering and less local shopping than I prefer, but it keeps me and my staff safer. Waiting anxiously on deliveries is more common now. Early in the season the disrupted supply chains were still creating havoc in my planning.
 
What's been the most rewarding experience in this season?
I felt most inspired this season by Cyrano. My favorite two projects from the Prop Shop this season were the hanging lanterns and the 2-wheeled cart in the production.
 
Outside of work, how have you personally maintained your creativity and/or found inspiration in this last year?
I find my creativity recharged the most lately by abstract painting, raising my houseplants, and cooking. I try to spend a little time every day outside with my cat. Unless it’s raining. She hates that.

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Malia Argüello, Production Manager
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How has the very nature of your work changed? What's been the most challenging part about this season? What's been the most rewarding experience in this season? 
As someone who took this position during the pandemic, everything has changed for me. I made the move from Seattle to Indianapolis, met this incredible staff, and started to learn how IRT works. The most challenging aspect has been having to do this remotely. There are so many of my colleagues that I have yet to meet face to face. The most rewarding is creating art during this time when so many are not able. When we are all isolated having the connection of collaborative art is a gift. 

Outside of work, how have you personally maintained your creativity and/or found inspiration in this last year?
I have maintained my own creativity through reading, crafting, watching TV and movies, listening to music. I have found that anything that tells a story soothes me and working with my hands has been essential. I find inspiration in how others have pivoted during this time. Art cannot be stopped and this has been a true example of that. I have been inspired by the social justice warriors in our country who refuse to accept injustice as the norm. 
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