???Dear Friend of the Wilma, Like all theaters around the country and across the world, we
are spending most of our time trying to understand how we can bring our
next season (beginning in late 2020 or early 2021) to you.?? I must admit - we are luckier than most. Thanks to your
support, we have been able to avoid closure and digitally present new and old productions. Over these last few months, our
team has been working harder than usual, tirelessly planning and problem-solving
to keep the Wilma moving forward. From the very first day of this pandemic, we all agreed to
take this crisis as a challenge, an opportunity to rethink and to reinvent. Flexibility and Innovation are the two
central principles guiding us. These principles have led us to a plan for next
season, of which we are very proud. For about three months, we've engaged
dozens of designers, directors, and administrators; we've been led by Set Designers
Misha Kachman from DC, Sara Brown from Cambridge, and Matt Saunders from Philadelphia, with important input from Video
Designer Jorge Cousineau. We began by asking ourselves a question: how can we stay
close, yet apart? In response to this challenge, we came up with the Wilma Globe, basing our thinking on a
number of historical models, including Shakespeare's Globe. As you can see in the pictures and videos, the Wilma Globe is
an arena, surrounded by two levels of audiences-boxes, each separated from one
another by wooden dividers, but open to the stage. Depending on the specific needs of the show, it
can be reconfigured into a semi-circle, horseshoe, and more. This Globe can fit as little as 30 and up to 100 people, and will provide a higher level of safety and comfort to our
audiences. But our full capacity used to be more than 300. How can we
reach the same number of people? Our answer: Video-Streaming. Our plan, pending approval from our unions, is to approach streaming not merely as a
technical solution but as an opportunity for artistic invention. We hope to discreetly install about a dozen cameras inside the Wilma
Globe, uniquely placed for each production. Some of these would take care of the
big picture, while others could be as small and specific as a camera hidden on
an actor's costume. As the director is rehearsing the show, a video
designer would create a "video-script" of the production, allowing us to stream
a high quality, artistically planned version of the play. This way we can open
our productions to a much broader circle of potential audiences. There
are hundreds of important details that we are still working on, which will help ensure
audience and artists' comfort and safety, from mask protocols to bathrooms to concessions to
entering and leaving the space. Of course, we will abide by all relevant government regulations. We will find thoughtful and innovative solutions to match our current planning. But we
believe this "hybrid" version - a mix of in-person and streaming -will provide us with a
much higher level of flexibility and preparedness for next
season. To realize this ambitious plan, we need your support. If this idea attracts you and
you are able to chip in, please HELP US
BUILD IT: Commit to the season with WilmaPass, which will grant you access
to our productions either in person or virtually, or make a tax-deductible contribution.Together we'll find a way of
making our next season accessible to Wilma's audiences, both returning and
new. Yury Urnov Lead Artistic Director, 2020-21
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