After a long intermission filled with virtual performances and technical difficulties, the thrill of live theatre is back as The Pocket Playhouse finally returns.
“I’m super excited to be back in person and actually be doing things on the stage, rather than just seeing [theater] in a little Zoom box,” said Fausto Corral, the co-chair of Pocket Playhouse. “I’m really looking forward to putting this organization in a positive direction.”
The Pocket Playhouse is a student-led organization and theatre company based on campus that provides opportunities for students of any discipline to act, produce or direct their own projects.
However, because of the previous shift to remote classes and events due to COVID-19, the club has lost its presence on campus and members hope that this year they’ll be able to reach out to more students to get involved, Corral said.
For instance, the club plans to host an actor showcase consisting of student-run productions at the end of the term that is open to all UO students to come and watch. The board is also in the works of bringing back other weekly events such as Pancakes in the Pocket and Open Mic Nights for students to hang out and make new friends.
While they are a “small, but mighty team,” Jen Gerould, the interim co-chair of the Pocket Playhouse, said, the board is excited to hit the ground running and establish an inclusive space for all students.
“I would like to not only do the things we’re talking about but also carry the positive spirit forward that those who graduated left for us,” she said.
Gerould said she also looks forward to providing students of all majors opportunities to join the theatre community, whether it’s by reading play texts or playing drama games.
Other members such as secretary Julianne Bodner and director’s liaison Annie Craven said they are excited to collaborate with other students and bring life back to the theatre again.
“It just feels incredibly refreshing to be able to have the space and the capacity again to produce plays,” Craven said. “And it’s just wonderful to be sitting in a theatre again doing what we love.”
Bodner also said that the Pocket Playhouse is a wonderful environment to meet like-minded theatre folks and hopes that the organization will attract students to take advantage of these learning opportunities.
However, while the club has returned to having in-person events, that isn’t to say concerns about COVID-19 aren’t hanging over their heads.
“All it takes is for someone in our classes to test positive and then all of us have to go home,” Gerould said. “I have a real fear about that, and I try not to be afraid. But that’s a concern.”
While COVID-19 protocols change how events are run in the Pocket Playhouse, members are following safety guidelines by wearing their masks at all times, exiting the building when eating and setting up outdoors, weather permitting.
“It’s challenging navigating, but we’re all trying to get through it and making sure that we make these events memorable and fun for everyone to enjoy,” Corral said.
Craven said she also wants to encourage others at the UO to think of the greater good of the population and understand how their actions can prolong the pandemic to affect our community.
Nevertheless, the board continues to focus on expanding the club and fostering a tight-knit, diverse community.
For instance, in his role as co-chair, Corral said he is aiming to make the club more accessible to people of color and center multicultural excellence in the theatre.
“As a Latino male studying theatre, it’s very rare seeing people like myself in these roles and positions,” he said. “So I’m very excited to be taking on this position in order to do that.”
Technical director Lexie Guzik also said they are excited to be carrying on the tradition of having a female-presenting technical director in the Pocket Playhouse since the “field of technicians and the industry itself is very male-dominated.”
Overall, there is no doubt that the pandemic affected clubs on campus like the Pocket Playhouse and deprived students of taking on these creative opportunities.
But, as UO begins to open back up, soon the vibrant energy and collective excitement of theatre lovers will fill up the Pocket, whether as an audience or a club member.
“We’re all excited to be back … and I hope people join the Pocket,” Corral said. “We accept everyone and everything.”
The Pocket Playhouse meets on Fridays at 5 p.m. at Villard Hall. For more information, visit their Instagram page @pocketplayhouse.
