"We sort of had a virtual cast party. We all watched it. It went live on the 23rd, Shakespeare's birthday. So the cast families all watched it together and then we kind of met up afterward to have a real cast party."
The performance was not streamed live. Instead, each scene was recorded separately and then the actor's scenes were placed side-by-side as if in a video conference. If the scene was a monologue, then the actor would appear solo on the screen. In between acts, pictures of the sets would appear along with music pieces composed by Roc Lee, a sound designer and composer.
The actors were encouraged to situate themselves in areas of the house with blank walls and good lighting. In one instance, Holdridge said, a student recorded himself huddled in a corner of the house to evoke his character's imprisonment. Prior to the play, the costume designer video chatted with each cast member and then helped them pick out the best costumes from what they have at home.
She said the online play was also very challenging. While rehearsals usually go for about four hours, it was much more difficult to keep everyone on track while online, and the session had to be shortened. She also said the gestures of acting were too large for the screen and the actors had to focus heavily on speaking with only a little body movement.
As students were feeling distraught and isolated, she said, the play was a unique opportunity for the actors to get back into university life.
"[College is] about what you're learning, obviously, but you're also learning how to be your own person away from your parents and you're learning how to be a member of society. You're learning how to work with your friends and peers towards something," she said.