Falcon Theatre’s upcoming Fall show, Peter Pan, is using a new method to reach audiences. Public performances are out of the question due to COVID-19, so the department had to get creative. Instead of performing for a live audience, the production was filmed and will be released digitally. It is set to premiere on the TCTV YouTube channel on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m..

The show’s director, Craig Robertson, adapted the play himself directly from the original book. This allows the footage of the play to be put online without fear of copyright issues. Robertson knew from the start that he wanted to release the show digitally instead of attempting a public performance.

“Anyone anywhere in the world can watch our show with a zero percent chance of catching Corona!” Robertson said. “Also, people can watch it whenever they want and as many times as they want without having to pay for it.”

Filming took four total hours across two days, Oct. 16th and 17th. The performance was filmed by TCTV’s Fine Art’s Editor, Ainsley Beers.

“I loved the filming process because it allowed me to play around with the line between movie and stage production,” Beers said. 

Never before has a Falcon Theatre production been filmed in this style. Beers was able to get creative with no audience to film around.

“I was able to get up close to the actors for some shots, but a lot of the choreography could only be captured from an audience’s perspective,” Beers said.

Capturing quality audio was challenging due to the safety precautions in place.

None of the actors were miked because of their masks,” Beers said. “So the actor’s voices, the narration, and the music had to be recorded and imported separately so that they could all be easily heard from a computer speaker.”

Sam Clapp, who plays Peter Pan, commended the dedication to safety during the production process. Throughout the show, actors were blocked to be at least six feet apart at all times.

“We definitely created some illusions that make us appear closer to someone than we really are. I’m just really happy that we took pride in our work while still staying safe,” Clapp said.

With this new style of release for Falcon Theatre, company members will get the rare chance to view their own show as an audience member would.

“I’m going to watch it with my family, but the company is going to all watch it at the same time and live tweet about it. We can all react to scenes at the same time and still be watching with our families,” Clapp said. “I’m really proud of the company’s performance and I’m excited to see how it turned out.”

To experience the magic of Falcon Theatre’s Peter Pan as it premieres, go to TCTV’s YouTube page at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22nd. The show will also be available indefinitely after its release.

View photos from the production from The Creek Yearbook below: