(828) 526-0173 | [email protected] | Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved.
Feeling Connected at a Distance
Written By: Kathryn Potts | Issue: 2020/08 – August
The world around us has had to change drastically recently to keep our communities safe.
We’ve had to change the way we celebrate, relax and socialize. As a lover of and student of the theater, I’ve seen my schooling and my summer opportunities flip on their heads.
In Highlands and Cashiers, summer is normally a bustling time of family activities, concerts, fireworks and craft fairs.
Although our streets are not quiet, many of these events have had to be channeled. The wonderful people in charge of these events have been working hard to make sure the communities still have opportunities to feel connected from a distance.
On July 4, the Highlands Chamber of Commerce used the Highlands Performing Arts Center to Facebook livestream a concert to punctuate a day about family and community. With the help of the tech staff at the PAC, the Plateau and beyond were able to enjoy a beautiful two-hour concert of The Wobblers.
The Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival had to cancel their regular 2020 summer season to prioritize the safety of their patrons and musicians. Executive Director Nancy Gould-Aaron told me they are planning to have some virtual concerts on Facebook and YouTube this summer that will be performed by this season’s musicians. They are also very hopeful for next year because it will be their 40th Anniversary and they are busy planning a huge celebratory season for 2021.
Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library and Hudson Library have halted their free public movie screenings, yet they’ve strengthened their selection of DVDs and online films and documentaries for patron viewings.
My Theater School at Ithaca College is exploring different green screen projections and streaming options to still allow us to create and stage productions.
It may be scary but it’s also an opportunity to be creative and do something no one has before.
