Spotlight On Rebecca Bernstein: Virtual Theatre, Shakespeare, And The Reimagining Of Theatrical Performance

I sat down with Rebecca Bernstein to discuss her virtual theatre company Zoom Shakespeare Productions, its humble beginnings, and her plans for the future. I met with Bernstein over Zoom, which was highly appropriate considering the location of her company: Zoom. The computer. The virtual world.

I've known Rebecca Bernstein since 2017 when I joined the Houston cast of Dinner Detective. It was my first paid acting gig, and I was equal parts excited and nervous. Rebecca was a detective that night, meaning she was the star of the show and a veteran actor in this mystery "who dunnit?" dinner theatre event. She knew her beats, she knew the timing, and she knew everyone in the cast, even some of us newcomers, and she was the kindest and most welcoming person I had ever met. This quality of hers, being able to be a friend to everyone, is why Zoom Shakespeare Productions has grown to be the international (yes, international) company that it is today.

Rebecca has acted and directed in theaters around Houston for years, and it was in March of 2020 acting as Laura Wingfield in Pasadena Little Theater's production of The Glass Menagerie when the pandemic struck.

"We were right in tech week. We were supposed to open the 20th of March, and the week of tech we were like, 'this isn't going to happen.' So I think it was March 17th, I was like 'well literally everything is closed right now' so I got some friends - Houston area friends- together to do a Zoom reading of Midsummer. We had drinks, I was like 'dress up if you want, whatever, it's Zoom. This is weird."

In my experience, sometimes the weird is exactly what's needed. And this was no exception.

"It was really fun. People put in a lot of effort, and I thought 'let's just keep doing this.'"

Bernstein, even almost two years after this momentous reading, seems to still be processing that Zoom Shakespeare Productions became what it is today, boasting readings of the entire Shakespeare canon, a handful of other classic works like Cyrano de Bergerac, ticketed performances of A Christmas Carol, and their most recent project, an audio play of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan that Bernstein adapted herself for the medium.

"In the early days, we did unabridged. Someone asked me recently 'did you guys do like, abridged versions?' and I said 'In early pandemic, no we didn't.' Sometimes it would take us two nights!" Bernstein says, getting animated about the beginnings of her company, and all the things she learned, "You know what? We did all of Hamlet. It took us two nights, but we did all of Hamlet."

Bernstein is making me laugh so hard. Going back to the recordings of our Zoom call, I hear myself in the background laughing at her descriptions of these Shakespeare plays, of which by now she is an absolute master.

"It's interesting because I didn't know all that much about the canon because nobody talks about All's Well That Ends Well or Cymbeline, or Timon of Athens. So it was really interesting to be able to do this deep dive into these texts that nobody talks about. Probably because they're weird, and some of them don't make sense and have huge political problems...There's Romeo and Juliet, and there's Midsummer and Twelfth Night which are sexy and funny and have this beautiful poetry, and then there's stuff like Cymbeline where it's like... There's a lady and she's in disguise because she's gonna get killed...and there's a creeper in a box in her closet..."

She knows these plays backward and forwards, and over these two years, it's clear she has developed a great understanding of all the strengths of the Shakespeare canon, and all of its weaknesses.

"The Histories. Oh, the Histories. I love them, they're great, but a lot of it is just white men yelling at each other."

Her breakdown of the emotional roller coaster that is Hamlet is entertaining, to say the least, and in my humble opinion, it could be turned into its own beautifully witty monologue worthy of an audition room.

"By the end, you're just like 'please kill everyone! Stop complaining you, tiny little man! Just kill your stepfather! Just do it! Stop waffling around!"

She's into this, you can tell. She loves it, and she is into the history of it, the inspiration, and the process.

"None of his stuff was from up here," Bernstein says, pointing to her head, "It was all based on something. He just added the poetry."

It speaks a lot of who we have come to revere as one of the most prolific playwrights of history, and how so much of our world in theatre is inspired by life, by other stories, by other people, and by what gets us excited. And Bernstein knows how to get people excited. In a time when everything was dark, and a little hopeless, and no one seemed to know what the future was for performing, she carved out a little alcove of hope using nothing but a tome of old texts, a camera, and an internet connection.

"Until we finished the canon, it was every week. And I would put a casting call on Sundays, and since no one had anything else to do it was kind of exciting.... I'd post 'who wants in? This week's play is this!' and it would be like auditions at a school- at a high school- where everyone would be like 'me! I want to go! Me!" Bernstein demonstrates the energy of these early days, throwing her hands up in the air and bouncing in her seat. Her energy is contagious, and I can almost feel the excitement I used to have when hearing about a call: back when I didn't get paid, back when I barely knew anything about theatre the way I know about it now, and every new show was a discovery wrapped in layers and layers of excitement.

Before the pandemic came about, I was struggling artistically. As a theatre practitioner, I was constantly fighting for pay, I was constantly explaining why my time and my skills were valuable. I was needing to convince people to pay me for my skills on a regular basis, and I was stressing over this thing that gave me so much joy in the beginning. Auditions were work, readings were work, everything felt like work: not the kind of work you get up excited to go to, but the kind of work you dread. The Pandemic hit, and all of a sudden all the work was gone, and I was so burnt out I wasn't sure if I was flailing and disappointed or if I was relieved. On the one hand, I was getting invitations to audition, I was getting paid to act, I was building great relationships and finding my spot in the theatre world. On the other, I was so tired. Absolutely exhausted. I needed a break I felt that I couldn't take without facing serious professional and fiscal consequences.

In a time of so much uncertainty, and so much fear, Zoom Shakespeare Productions provided an escape, entertainment, and a reigniting of passions in a low-pressure setting. This was something that live theatre wasn't able to provide as of late, even before the pandemic, but here was Bernstein, making it happen for so many people over a video chat platform. Over the next year, Zoom Shakespeare Productions went through the entire canon and has since started to explore other works in the public domain.

"What are focused on now is classic and public domain stories. We did a Cyrano de Bergerac in April of last year...Essentially the idea is to do classics and public domain stories....We did a Little Women adaptation, we did a Jane Eyre, we just finished our second A Christmas Carol. That was our first charged production for Christmas of this year."Bernstein, never failing to give credit where credit is due, tells me the script was done by Chris Turner.

"He wrote his own adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which works really beautifully for Zoom," she said. She tells me they charged for their Christmas show, and she was nervous about the reception of charged virtual theatre.

"People have been telling me for a long time 'you need to charge,' and I was nervous about it because I thought 'is there even a market?' especially now in 2022...where people are trying to get back out there and yet we have these variant things thrown at us, so things really aren't back to normal yet...I was really surprised by the reaction. Essentially what we did is open up a Zoom room to anyone who purchased tickets. We made sure everyone was muted and their cameras were turned off, but it was really good."

They had excellent reception and ticket sales were stellar for the first performance by a new company. Turns out the answer to Bernstein's question of whether or not there was a market for virtual theatre was an overwhelming YES.

"There is a market for virtual content... In the long run, I have some ideas for doing stuff in person...when it's safe. That's the other thing."

It's not safe. Not yet. We want it to be safe, and we have turned a blind eye to it lately, but the reality is, hospitals are still overrun, healthcare workers are way past the point of burnout, and the majority of the world is still scared, and we still have so many questions. Lately, in the performance world, the debate has been whether or not virtual theatre is even theatre. I have heard both sides from many people, and some folks have even gone so far as to say that absolutely not. Virtual theatre is not real theatre. I was curious to know Bernstein's response to such a staunch position, being the woman behind the camera- so to speak- of ZSP.

"I would say we are always changing as artists. If someone were to tell me in 2019 'you're going to start a virtual theatre company, and it's going to be huge, and people are going to watch that kind of content' I would have said that's ridiculous. But what you can do with virtual theatre...We're not the only ones doing it. There are companies all around the world still doing it, too. Sure some companies have stopped, transitioned back into live, but what we've been able to do with this medium is have actors from Italy and Russia and Canada and the U.K. all in the same production together which, obviously, you can't do in person. And I've made friends and connected with people and made this worldwide community... America- we weren't the only ones going through this...it's a worldwide issue."

Bernstein has not only responded to the naysayers but even showed where virtual theatre can excel in areas that in-person theatre cannot. This is a glimmer of hope for me, as I have been too scared to act in person for some time. Some of this is because of the pandemic, but it's a deeper-rooted issue. I want a safe rehearsal room. I want a director who is going to put the needs of the cast above ticket sales. I want a place that is willing to require masks, temperature checks, and who will consider pushing back a performance should the world not be safe enough to continue on the initially proposed timeline. A lot of theaters are afraid of this prospect. Theaters were in a precarious position, to begin with. Now, closing their doors for what they plan to be only a moment could end up with them closing their doors for good.

"There's a lot of anxiety...around this pandemic people have varying levels of comfort," Bernstein comments on the environment as of late. She describes her experience going to a local theatre in town. The room was full, and not everyone was wearing masks. For some, this is how things ought to be. Enough time has passed. For others, myself most definitely included, this is a terrifying nightmare turned reality.

"It's this interesting moral quandary that I think a lot of us are having." Bernstein says, "I'm vaccinated, triple, but I'm still not super comfortable being in crowds, especially unmasked, but theatre companies don't want to say you have to mask because that will get them into trouble and get people saying 'how dare you to tell me to mask.' But even being in a show, too. I can imagine it would give me anxiety. I would have a hard time focusing because I'd be thinking about the germs being spread around the room."

This speaks true to me. As someone who was immune-compromised for most of this pandemic so far, what Bernstein says is beyond accurate. Aside from doing a reading for Rebecca's company back in June of 2020, and one monologue showcase to maybe ten people in a room that could have, pre-pandemic, seated 100, I have been off the stage for the majority of this time. The risk is much too high for me, and it is damaging not only to my mental and physical health but to my performance as well. If my personal safety is in jeopardy, I'm not going to give you the quality performance I want to give you. And in an immune-compromised state, I cannot go out to be in a show, and I most definitely cannot go out to see a show. But with Zoom Shakespeare Productions doing their performances, what Rebecca calls "heightened readings", you can. Anyone can potentially take part.

"There's an accessibility that's cool about that," Bernstein says, "Say you can't commit to a show right now. But if you go in for three rehearsals and then did this one show, that is a lot easier, and a lot less of a time commitment."

ZSP is all about accessibility. People from all walks of life from around the world are able to be a part of the experience. They don't ask you to put your life on hold or put your life at risk to do a show- something the theatre world has been asking of us long before the Age of Covid was even in our minds. When reading for Rebecca's show in June, I got to get what I was craving- performance without the risk of illness.

"I wanted to create an international community. When I can travel again, I can go visit my friends in the U.K. but it is something to do, something to take their minds off things. It's about accessibility." She tells the story of an incredible actress who happens to be deaf and another who has major back problems that have kept her off the stage. Bernstein has only good things to say about these performers, and how these experiences have molded her plans for the future of Zoom Shakespeare, making accessibility and diversity a focus for future projects.

"There's been a lot about accessibility and trying to give people who haven't traditionally been able to do the mainstream (shows), chances...I've always wanted to give more opportunities for women and people of color because- I'm not saying anything new here!- but they've been put out and left out of things for a very long time. Often it enhances the experience. Usually, it does! And non-binary people too! It's been really cool to see how classic works take on new life...too long have we seen a bunch of pretty white men onstage...it's great but they've had the chance for years.

"Not only are your actors from all over the world, but your directors are all over the world," Bernstein says, talking about the many advantages and exciting things virtual theatre can accomplish and create. She apologizes for going on a tangent because she's been expanding on these topics for a good five minutes. Perhaps it's her excitement and eagerness or the way she seems to seamlessly flow from topic to topic, but I barely register it as a tangent. It's very clear to me that Rebecca Bernstein loves what she does, and this unexpected journey she is on these last two years is fueled by passion and a desire to make things and tell stories that are truly universal not only in topics of love and loss but also in representation. She is not without fear, but her enthusiasm and her drive override that anxiety for the future.

"I love that we've created this international community, and it did start in just Houston, but friends told friends, and then their friends told friends...Who knows when this thing is going to end." She says referencing the ongoing pandemic. The sentiment is a familiar one, but unlike many times when it is stated by others I know, and myself, it is not without hope for something worthwhile among all the chaos. That hops takes the form of this storytelling she has been doing with her company. Their most recent project is an audio play of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. By donating $5 or more to the ZSP Paypal account, you can get access to five gloriously enchanting episodes of Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up. I've listened to it, and it is worth every penny.

"It was a big project, but we're very proud of it, and it has a lot of great actors. It's perfect for kids," Bernstein comments. I have to say, yes, absolutely, but also- as a fan of the original Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, it is perfect for adults as well.

"I'd never directed (an audio play) before...with this medium it's just your voice, so you have to put everything you have into it... without sound effects, you're only about halfway there." There are many sounds that are peppered throughout the show, Tinkerbell being no dialogue but a series of bell tones and tinkling. One of the actors even gave Bernstein audio footage of her dog for Nana, the St. Bernard.

Her favorite part of the show, however, is the moment of Peter's monologue to Tinkerbell.

"They will hear that we did this great loop of 'I do believe in faeries' and it's really cool." This loop and many other poignant moments in the show can be attributed to the brilliant sound design and editing by Leslie Barrera, who Bernstein wanted to make sure to give a shout-out. Without her, the play wouldn't have been the crowning achievement it is.

"You are- at least in Houston- you are- I don't know if you realize this, but you are a pioneer in virtual theatre," I tell Bernstein. She hides her face. You can always count on Rebecca to be modest. But I push on. Because she is. She is a pioneer in the virtual theatre world. She is taking this previously unexplored medium, and she is taking it to a whole other level, facing the challenges as they come at her. We are out here redefining performance, and she is at the forefront. Rebecca Bernstein is a force to be reckoned with, with a welcoming spirit, and there is no doubt in my mind- that is what has taken her so far. I ask her because I am sure others have this same question if she has any advice for those who want to explore the virtual possibilities of performance.

" Anybody can do it," she says, "we are in this time where if you go live on Facebook with a group of friends reading a play...you'll be surprised with how many people will watch that. Theatre has been redefined as more than just people on the stage in a room. There is so much more you can do with it."

Rebecca Bernstein is an inspiration, and after our conversation, I am left with a little more hope. Theatre is changing, and theatre is fighting to stay, as we have for hundreds of years. Virtual theatre is our champion, here to continue to fight in a world where going outside is a battle in itself, and Rebecca Bernstein is leading the charge.

Rebecca Bernstein is an actress and director in the Houston area. She is the founder of Zoom Shakespeare productions. You can follow them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ZoomShakespeare

ZSP's Peter Pan audio play consists of 5 episodes, and it is accessed in its entirety by donating a $5 minimum to the ZSP PayPal account here: paypal.me/zoomshakespeare

The Peter Pan audio play originally was affiliated with Wandering Moose, but Wandering Moose in the end was not involved in the production.

The Wandering Moose is a producer, director, playwright, and actor in Houston, TX. She is currently writing the Spotlight series: a monthly publication where she interviews performing artists doing great things in the Houston area.