Has the pandemic changed how you enjoy arts? We want to hear from you

Christina Schoellkopf, Makeda Easter
·1 min read
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 13: Portuguese-born world-renowned performer, magician and creator of theatrical and immersive experiences, Helder Guimaraes poses for a portrait in Griffith Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. The Geffen Playhouse is hosting a Zoom virtual Magic show where Guimaraes will be performing while Frank Marshall directs. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Sleight of hand and storytelling savvy made Helder Guimarães, pictured here in a double exposure image taken at Griffith Park, a pandemic theater hit for Geffen Playhouse. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

Virtual shows have been a lifeline for theater, dance, orchestras, galleries and others hoping to stay connected with audiences during the ever-stretching timeline of the pandemic.

Organizations including Pacific Opera Project and Shia LaBeouf’s Slauson Rec. Theater Company started drive-in performances, and some exhibition spaces such as the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, are still offering appointment-only viewings.

But how are people actually consuming art during the pandemic? And what do they think of virtual or drive-in shows?

In a piece about Zoom theater, Times critic Charles McNulty wrote, "digital theater is offered as a consolation, but so much of the work inadvertently underscores the social isolation of the pandemic.”

Times critic Mark Swed wrote about the Los Angeles Philharmonic testing out radio, television, CD, streaming video and vinyl during the pandemic, saying “each in its own way reminds us of what we’re missing. But each also adds a dimension. Blessings are very much mixed.”

Now, we would like to hear from you. How have your habits as an audience member changed during the pandemic? And what do you think of the pandemic-inspired shows?

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.