Our three-year-old grandson shared an important lesson with us during a recent hike.
When he stopped to play in the red sand along the Georgia stream, he asked, “Where are my construction toys?” We explained we didn’t bring any. Without missing a beat, he transformed his left arm into a fully-functioning digger. This is the kind of inventiveness and imagination we grownups need. We can’t depend on the standard tools of the trade because our ground has shifted. This pandemic has forced us to rethink everything.
How do we “dig the hole” without construction equipment?
Like my grandson chose to reframe his situation by the stream, organizations are seeing the new normal as an opportunity to reinvent themselves.
That’s what Horizon Theatre Company did when shelter-in-place orders forced the shutdown of productions in March. This board member is proud of how quickly the dedicated staff created Horizon At Home, virtual programming that keeps audiences connected until they can safely return to their seats at this Atlanta theatre. The 36-year-old contemporary theatre continues to reimagine itself with online specials and virtual content, including:
- Saturday episodes of Cooking Ála LaLa, featuring Horizon favorite, actress LaLa Cochran.
- An Opening Night Party for The Light, a play by Loy Webb.
- A musical jamboree starring the Horizon cast of Once.
- A Mother’s Day event, Beautiful Crazy Moms: Mothers and Daughters on the Edge, with short plays, songs and reflections on motherhood with Horizon actors and playwrights.
In addition, the theatre plans to stream new play readings and favorite productions from the past as well as interviews with directors and guests, singing sessions and more. Their creativity and resourcefulness remind me a lot of my imaginative grandson.