For a guy who was born in Las Vegas and whose parents were professional entertainers in the 30s, being shut in without access to theatrical entertainment of some kind, would probably drive me crazy. We all have access to television and radio which provides a plethora of entertainment mediums, news, hosted talk shows, music, theater, and tons of commercials. As a professional in the marketing industry, I was required to learn how to use computers to satisfy my work environment needs. Today thankfully, I can now stay at home and access food, products of personal need, advice, education and training, and can communicate with my family practically anywhere in the country. If you do not have a computer, this might be a good time to buy one, and have it installed in your home along with the Internet services that allow you to use valuable resources more conveniently than you might find on your smart cell phone.
With hundreds of theaters and entertainment venues around the Bay Area closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these sequestered artists are finding new ways to get their entertainment and writing passions satisfied through the medium of the Internet. For example, this past week California Shakespeare Theater has sent out a wonderful reservoir of entertainment information through their website link entitled, Cal Shakes Online! Consequently, if you loved going to the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda (where you could see exquisitely produced top-notch theater productions such as Macbeth), entertainment is now just a Click Away!
Now for safety sake, going to this beautiful theater to see live entertainment in person is not currently available. But, on their website, you can type in Cal Shakes Youtube , and be delivered to the content of their website. In the introductory content page, you will have many highlighted options to select from which will allow you to partake in their Mystery Shakespeare Theater 1592, or Cal Shake’s Online (highlighted in bold colors, which will take you to another page which provides an explanatory menu offering multiple opportunities for other entertainment and educational avenues.
If you currently have a computer in your home I suggest you try this out and when you go into this link entitled Cal Shake’s Online, scroll down the page until you connect (again through the keyboard or mouse selection tool) with a section highlighted in bold blue ink, “What We’re Watching This Week”, where you will find five shows that you can watch for a modest donation or as little as five dollars per connection. Here you will find professional shows such as “Fleabag” (available through Amazon for 5 dollars), “Much Ado About Nothing” (from the New York Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park Theater), “Lear” (Soho Rep in New York), “Cyprus Avenue” (the Royal Court Theatre, London), and “Method Gun” (available for $5 – via Austin, TX). I watched and absolutely loved the Irish play, “Cyprus Avenue”.
Over the next few weeks or months, until we return to entertainment live, I will be suggesting and offering viewing opportunities on television or your computers, that you might never have known were available to you. If you have recently purchased a laptop through a source such as Best Buy (who have installer people available by a 1-800 phone number to their Geek Squad technicians, who can verbally walk you through the setup process) or through Amazon, with its home delivery services, this might be the perfect time to check this out!
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