Snow goes ‘on demand’

for productions, concerts

By Bob Green

Staff writer

11-25-2020

EPRHAIM—Snow College is taking its Christmas performances online this year, in hopes that theatre and opera lovers will find the Christmas spirit “On Demand.”

For the first time, the college is trying out pay-for-view productions that will allow a family to sit down and enjoy a play or opera in the comfort of their own home, said Sherry Nielson, fine arts administrative assistant.

Snow has decided to postpone all live theatre and musical performances with an audience due to new emergency restrictions on COVID-19, Nielson said.

This means the annual play “A Christmas Carol” will not be held at the Eccles Center this year, but it is being recorded into a high quality film and will be available “On Demand” at Snow College’s website for $10 per viewing, said Milinda Weeks, the director of the play.

In addition, Snow’s musical opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” can be seen On Demand. Both performances will be available to rent Dec. 4 thru Dec. 25 at snow.edu/academics/finearts/.

All musical performances, such as the chamber concerts, jazz concerts, the holiday musical spectacular and Messiah can be livestreamed for free on the Snow College music concerts webpage, Nielson said. Go to snow.edu/music, click on concerts and events, then click on red tab next to YouTube.

Snow College’s theatre department has already filmed the fourth annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” Weeks said. “The stage production turned out really good,” she said, “and I hope the film turns out to be great as well.”

The show was filmed with three high definition cameras by the Snow TV crew, Weeks said. Each scene was shot separately, with multiple takes, and the entire production is being pieced together with the audio track by the post production editing crew, she said. The end product will feel like a high quality film with a professional soundtrack, she said.

Weeks mentioned it was very challenging to shoot a play while adhering to COVID safety measures. All the performers had to wear masks, and sometimes it was challenging to breathe and speak properly, she said. In some scenes, the characters wore a clear plastic masks so that viewers will be able to recognize their faces, Weeks said. There were about 25 cast members and another 25 stage technicians involved, she said.

The cast members recognized they were going to have to change their attitude about performing this play without audience feedback, Weeks said. Everyone realized they would have to find motivation within, she said. “And every single one of them stepped up and did a fantastic job; bringing a beautiful connection and energy to each other on the stage.”

There has been no live audience present at rehearsals or filming either. All the parents will have to wait to watch “The Christmas Carol” on film too, she said.