The Covid-19 virus’ impact on a global scale cannot be overstated. It caused great uncertainty and social unrest, erased norms, and had large effects on local communities. Among the many communities impacted, Linfield theatre was among them.
Theatre has always been a communal experience. From production, marketing and the invitation itself of watching a live performance. The months of production and the dedicated work of everyone involved unfurls into what could only be called a transformative experience for the audience and the creatives both on and off stage.
But what do you do then when the magic of theatre runs the risk of being snuffed out?
Alumnae Sydney Monroe, with a B.A. in journalism and media studies & theatre arts, has the answer of how the department, and herself, managed the struggles. Prior to her involvement in Linfield theatre, Monroe expressed her passion for art at an early age.
“As a kid, I always had an interest in acting. I used to practice fake crying in front of my mirror,” Monroe said.
However, it wouldn’t be until years later in high school when she got the chance to act on it.
“I started sophomore year of high school because my freshman year, I had a couple friends who were in a play, and they said it was super fun,” said Monroe.
She was cast in “Radium Girls” as part of the ensemble and enjoyed her experience, despite not having a larger role. All the same, Monroe desired a larger role, and after a successful audition her junior year, she got her wish.
“I ended up getting an important supporting role in a stage adaptation of Jane Austin’s ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ being in at least half the show,” Monroe said. “I remember going home and being like ‘I don’t want to be one of the background characters, I want to be a named role.’”
Unfortunately, after that opportunity came and went, Covid arrived her junior year in high school, only months after the precious production closed. Prior to her arrival at Linfield, when Covid numbers spiked in the summer of 2021, Monroe reflected on the possibility of not attending school in person and the fear that she’d be charged full price for a fourth of the college experience. Ultimately, she made the choice to stay committed.
Monroe’s freshman year, Linfield and the rest of the world were navigating the trials and tribulations of the pandemic. While navigating the normal growing pains of college, she also had to contend with the constant fear that at any moment, the whole situation could turn south again.
Her first real experience with Linfield theatre was the performance art piece: “Ground Zero: 2021” reflecting on the fallout from 9/11, with a whole installation taking about 30 minutes for audience members to work through. Monroe was once again part of the ensemble, and the entire cast was masked, following thorough Covid procedures.
Linfield’s first main stage show during Covid was “Treasure Island,” and it was Monroe’s first as well.
“Despite having Covid procedures, wearing masks and social distancing, it was honestly so normal,” Monroe said. “There are so many opportunities for bonding moments even through the layers of procedures and weirdness Covid brought.”
Monroe recalled she made a close friend during the production, who she remains friends with even after they transferred. Monroe played Lucky Mickey and was also a part of the publicity team.
For “Treasure Island,” Monroe noted the hefty task of being sure the 20+ cast and crew members were being regularly tested for Covid.
“We’d test at rehearsals, then send them off to some company, and we tested after every week,” Monroe said.
The next major production she was attached to was “Heathers.” Monroe was the assistant stage manager for that production, and had the job of managing Covid tests.
During the production of “Heathers: The Musical,” someone did manage to get Covid.
“I was sitting in the car with my friend MJ, the other assistant stage manager, and my roommate Hadley who was the lead, Veronica Sawyer, when we got an email saying one of the cast members had gotten it, a cast member we’d all interacted with,” Monroe said.
Consequently, since the lead had gotten Covid, the theatre had to cancel a weekend’s worth of performances. Prior to the cancellation, they’d only gotten to perform two nights of the show.
“I know people who were set to go multiple times to see the show, and we had to cancel, because at least eight people had gotten it [Covid],” Monroe added. “Even with all the precautions in place, there is still a level of danger you have to put yourself in, just to put on these productions.”
Monroe herself was one of the unlucky ones who got Covid and as a result, was put in “Covid jail” (quarantine) for two weeks alongside three of her other friends. During that time, Linfield still had Covid housing for those who were infected.
“Other than just generally being sick and having to do homework and zoom, it was also the end of the term making the situation feel worse than it otherwise would’ve been,” Monroe said. “We got Dillin delivered to us, and despite the condition, we were still able to build community in our ‘jail’ and that was because of the connections made on/off stage.”
Going into Monroe’s sophomore year, “Linfield was very ambitious,” Monroe said. “We had four practically main stage shows, and because of the lack of masking, restrictions were kind of taken away, and the policies all changed for the school year regarding masking and Covid testing.”
Monroe remembers the changes being quite fast, “All of the sudden the sort testing and Covid stuff was over; we were practically back to normal.”
In the first of the main shows, Monroe scored a leading role in “Doctor Voynich and her Children” as Sheriff Harrison. The production of the show went off mostly without any issues, until it didn’t. One of the leads ended up getting Covid and they lost two full weeks of production with that performer, on top of an already crunched rehearsal schedule of four weeks. The whole debacle led toward them having to insert some covid policies back into play for everyone’s safety.
However, once Monroe’s junior year rolled around, “Covid wasn’t really something in the back of my brain anymore,” she said. From junior year forward, Covid has mostly become a bad dream, and future productions were generally unaffected.
Monroe, from the moment she arrived, ended up being a mainstay in the Theatre Department.
“I was involved in every single production, which roughly amounts to 16 shows. My involvement ranged from being on stage, doing a variety of tech work, design work and makeup too,” Monroe said.
She went to reflect on what Linfield theatre meant to her and how much it shaped her Linfield experience.
“I could not be more grateful for the community I had throughout my four years at Linfield because of the theatre department. Genuinely, the theatre became my home more than any dorm or apartment on campus did. I probably spent the most time there or anywhere on campus,” Monroe said. “I was given so much support and friendship through this department [theatre], and it’s especially meaningful because I hadn’t intended on majoring in it.”
She described one of her favorite memories from her time here in the theatre department.
“Playing soccer during the rehearsal process for The Wolves with the entire cast. There weren’t cliques, there weren’t smaller groups, we just bonded like a real team, and the unorthodoxy of it all made the process more fun than usual,” Monroe said.
While the effects of Covid can’t be overstated, it’s important to remember there were still moments of levity, still chances to make long lasting friends. Linfield theatre is still going strong with its Fall flagship production, “Macbeth” set to premiere Oct. 30. This will be the first Linfield production since 2021 Monroe won’t be a part of.
