The University of Wyoming Theatre and Dance Department will be presenting a live virtual comedy play titled “Asking Strangers The Meaning of Life” starting on September 24^th and running through October 3^rd. The made-to-be-virtual play is written and directed by department faculty member and playwright William Missouri Downs and consists of a cast of ten performers. The show is free to UW students and $5 for the general public.

The cast and crew of University students has been rehearsing completely over Zoom for four weeks along with the writer/director and other departmental technicians. Camera equipment, microphones, lighting, canvas backdrops, Bluetooth earbuds, props, and costumes have been delivered to the actors’ houses, apartments, and dorm rooms for the final production.

The performers have transformed their living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens into full recording studios. Sariah Durrant-Galovich, a senior musical theatre performance major who plays the role of The Cardinal, says about her at-home set, “my kitchen is kind of a tripping hazard right now… my cats don’t like it very much.”

This new format of performance has been an incredible learning process for both the actors and the technicians. Many of the performers feel as though these circumstances have given them an opportunity to work as film actors rather than stage actors, as they are performing directly into a camera.

Lauren Brooke Asher, a junior theatre performance major who plays the role of The Professor, explains, “The most challenging part of the process has been not being able to make eye contact with my scene partner. It’s hard to react to what someone is saying when you can’t see the look in their eye.” Asher continues, “It has been really rewarding though to see how far we have come in terms of Zoom theatre, based on other productions I’ve done… This show came together so fast and so well, it’s kind of incredible.”

The play is a dark-humored comedy in which the characters each go through their own existential crisis on their search for the meaning of life. Dee Miller, a senior musical theatre performance major playing the role of The Writer, concludes that the play “helps us remember that despite the many different ways you can look at life, it’s really only you who can decide what life is for yourself. You have to create that meaning and story for yourself.”

While the theatre and dance community has been facing much difficulty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, artists are still producing, performing, and giving to the Laramie community. Actor Sariah Durrant-Galovich says, “It’s important to remember that the acting community is still out here trying to make people laugh and trying to distract them from the woes of the world.”

The show will be performed live through Vimeo at 7:30pm (MST) on September 24^th, 25^th, 26^th, and 27^th, as well as October 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd.

Tickets can be reserved by calling the Fine Arts Box Office at (307) 766-6666 or by visiting this link https://www.uwyo.edu/fineart_ticket/eventsticketed.aspx. Tune in to watch the hour long live show from home for good laughs and questions about the meaning of life.