• Digitally-Delivered Mexican Theatre during the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020
• Timothy G. Compton

Covid 19’s appearance in March 2020 closed theatre stages all over the world, including those in Mexico. Countless projects shut down, some after long runs, while others were forced to close after months of rehearsals or precious few performances. Only time will tell which projects will revive. However, no project will be the same, and many will simply never see the stage. August 27 marked the re-opening of theaters in Mexico, albeit with severely limited numbers of spectators, and with strict sanitary rules for spectators, actors, and all involved in the return of in-person theatre. One notable early in-person performance venue consisted of a large stage where spectators witnessed plays (as well as concerts and other events) from their cars, in a sort of drive-in arrangement.

Despite the impossibility of in-person theatre performances during the lockdown, Covid could not stop the creative juices of Mexico’s teatreros. Some turned to digital delivery of performance art, although this new genre has generated some controversy. Purists say that performing a play without spectators present or seeing a play without being present creates something other than theatre. Others disagree. In a podcast interview, Alberto Lomnitz, who co-authored the “Manifiesto por un Arte Vivo Digital” with María Sánchez Portillo, stated that they purposely avoided the words teatro and teatral. Instead, their manifesto emphasized new possibilities.¹ “Las creadoras y creadores de la práctica escénica encontramos en el Arte Vivo Digital un medio más para el desarrollo y ejercicio de nuestra creatividad . . . se abren nuevas posibilidades de interactuar de manera íntima con las y los espectadores . . . somos conscientes de que en la práctica artística todo es efervescencia, mutación, adaptabilidad, vida . . . Queremos construir una puerta de entrada a mundos posibles.”² This manifesto emphasizes live [End Page 199] digital events, which I will call theatre, despite the controversy. I concede that watching one of these events through a computer screen is clearly different from seeing a play in a theater, but the very best of each seems much superior to the mediocre or poor of the other.

Before I survey some of the most compelling digital performances I have seen from June through December 2020, I offer some general observations about the logistics and pros and cons of the genre from my perspective as a spectator. First of all, since theaters were closed or severely limited and international travel was ill-advised during the pandemic, virtual theatre offered a lifeline to those who seek continued access to Mexico’s theatre world, and without the hassles and expenses of travel—no hotel costs, no ubers or subway rides, no air or noise pollution, no security concerns, etc. How miraculous to see live performances by world-class actors directed by some of the cream of Mexico’s directing cream, and from the comfort of my own home! Depending on where spectators live or stay in Mexico City, and the location of the desired theaters, to see in-person plays they can easily spend hours in transportation alone. Clearly, geography limits the reach of traditional plays. By contrast, virtual theatre extends world-wide, internet (and credit card companies) willing. In addition, every spectator has access to the best seat in the house (both in terms of what they see and, literally, in the most comfortable chair in their own house, with all the leg room they please). Furthermore, depending on the delivery platform, spectators can have a more intimate and interactive relationship with virtual plays than with in-person plays.

And now for some cons. First of all, virtual spectators miss out on the communitarian experience of traditional theatre. Laughing, gasping, and crying alone, rather than with fellow spectators in the same room, packs less of an impact. Part of the joy of good children’s theatre is to watch the unfiltered reactions of children. Talking with fellow spectators before and after a performance enriches the sense of community, as does overhearing comments during plays. In virtual performances, spectators can sometimes use the chat function in Zoom or Facebook Live...

• 2020 年 COVID-19 大流行期间数字化交付的墨西哥剧院
• 蒂莫西·G·康普顿

Covid 19 于 2020 年 3 月的亮相关闭了世界各地的剧院舞台，包括墨西哥的剧院舞台。无数项目被关闭，有些是经过长时间的运行，而另一些则是在经过数月的排练或几场宝贵的表演后被迫关闭。只有时间会告诉我们哪些项目会复兴。然而，没有任何项目会是相同的，许多项目根本就不会看到舞台。8 月 27 日标志着墨西哥剧院的重新开放，尽管观众人数非常有限，并且对观众、演员和所有参与现场剧院回归的人都有严格的卫生规定。一个著名的早期现场表演场地包括一个大型舞台，观众在那里以一种免下车安排的方式在他们的汽车上目睹了戏剧（以及音乐会和其他活动）。

尽管在封锁期间无法进行面对面的剧院表演，但 Covid 无法阻止墨西哥剧院的创意源泉。有些人转向行为艺术的数字传递，尽管这种新类型引起了一些争议。纯粹主义者说，在没有观众在场的情况下表演戏剧或在没有观众的情况下观看戏剧会产生不同于戏剧的东西。其他人不同意。在播客采访中，与 María Sánchez Portillo 合着“Manifesto por un Arte Vivo Digital”的 Alberto Lomnitz 表示，他们故意避免使用“ teatro”和“ teatral”这两个词。相反，他们的宣言强调了新的可能性。¹“ Las creadoras y creadores de la práctica escénica encontramos en el Arte Vivo Digital un media más para el desarrollo y ejercicio de nuestra creatividad 。. . se abren nuevas posibilidades de interactuar de manera íntima con las y los espectadores 。. . somos conscientes de que en la práctica artística todo es efervescencia、mutación、adaptabilidad、vida。. . Queremos construir una puerta de entrada a mundos posibles。” ²该宣言强调现场[End Page 199]数字活动，尽管存在争议，但我将其称为剧院。我承认，通过电脑屏幕观看其中一个事件与在剧院观看戏剧明显不同，但每一个中最好的似乎都比另一个平庸或差的要好得多。

在我调查 2020 年 6 月到 2020 年 12 月期间我看过的一些最引人注目的数字表演之前，我从我作为观众的角度提供了一些关于该类型的后勤和优缺点的一般观察。首先，由于剧院关闭或受到严重限制，并且在大流行期间国际旅行不明智，虚拟剧院为那些寻求继续进入墨西哥剧院世界的人提供了一条生命线，而且没有旅行的麻烦和费用——没有酒店费用，没有优步或地铁，没有空气或噪音污染，没有安全问题等。在我自己舒适的家中，看到世界级演员的现场表演，由墨西哥的一些优秀导演执导，真是太神奇了！根据观众在墨西哥城居住或逗留的地点以及所需剧院的位置，为了观看现场表演，他们可以轻松地单独在交通中花费数小时。显然，地理限制了传统戏剧的影响范围。相比之下，虚拟剧院在全球范围内扩展，互联网（和信用卡公司）愿意。此外，每个观众都可以使用房子里最好的座位（就他们所看到的而言，从字面上看，他们坐在自己房子里最舒适的椅子上，拥有他们喜欢的所有腿部空间）。此外，根据交付平台的不同，观众可以与虚拟游戏建立比面对面游戏更亲密和互动的关系。每个观众都可以使用房子里最好的座位（就他们所看到的而言，从字面上看，他们坐在自己房子里最舒适的椅子上，拥有他们喜欢的所有腿部空间）。此外，根据交付平台的不同，观众可以与虚拟游戏建立比面对面游戏更亲密和互动的关系。每个观众都可以使用房子里最好的座位（就他们所看到的而言，从字面上看，他们坐在自己房子里最舒适的椅子上，拥有他们喜欢的所有腿部空间）。此外，根据交付平台的不同，观众可以与虚拟游戏建立比面对面游戏更亲密和互动的关系。

现在有一些缺点。首先，虚拟观众错过了传统剧院的社区体验。单独笑、喘气和哭泣，而不是与同一个房间的其他观众一起，影响较小。好的儿童剧院的部分乐趣在于观看孩子们未经过滤的反应。在演出前后与其他观众交谈可以丰富社区感，就像在演出期间偷听评论一样。在虚拟表演中，观众有时可以使用 Zoom 或 Facebook Live 中的聊天功能......