ENMU Presents Virtual Theatre Production, ‘You’re on Mute’
- The virtual show is an original production created by students under the direction of Ricky Quintana.
- A six-week exploration of themes and challenges that have been present during the pandemic.
- Performances will be free and open to the public from Nov. 12-15, 2020. Register at www.enmu.edu/theatrelive.
PORTALES, NM – The Eastern New Mexico University Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking’s virtual fall 2020 season closes with “You’re on Mute.” For the past six weeks, ENMU theatre students have been creating an original piece of theatre, under the direction of Ricky Quintana, an instructor of theatre, based on themes and challenges that have been present during this pandemic. Entirely done over Zoom, the process has presented many obstacles as well as triumphs as the department continues to navigate the emerging digital performance era.
“I feel like I’m drowning; there is an immense pressure holding [my] head down,” cries ENMU senior Lara Harkness, who portrays a woman suffering from loneliness, yearning for something new.
The stories cultivated from this show have been pulled from personal experiences and research from existing interviews, news articles and images. Covering topics such as endless feelings of uncertainty to mental health, there is something for everyone to resonate with.
“I wanted to capture this moment in time,” states Quintana, “to not only show us at our lowest, but just how resilient and strong we were.” He hopes that “when we look back at this piece years from now, we can honor the time we lived in as well as see how much we’ve grown as a society. This is certainly a time for monumental self-reflection and looking forward to how we want to shape our future.”
The show will play Nov. 12-14 at 7 p.m., and on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. Performances will be presented for free over Zoom, but attendees must register in advance. To register, visit www.enmu.edu/TheatreLive.
