Of the countless industries shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, few have seen as negative an impact as the country’s theaters and performing arts centers.
Despite that, playwright and artist Ryan Landry is pressing onward, donning a face mask (or maybe not) that he described as looking “like a giant lobster.”
On Monday, the Gold Dust Orphans founder called in to Boston Public Radio, where he talked about his own creative projects and goals amid the ongoing health crisis.
"If it is deemed safe to do outdoor entertainment, I plan on doing Showgirls this summer,” he said. “Of course, it’s the only way that I can make a living. But I also wanna say that it's gonna be interesting to watch the drag queens lip sync through their masks.”
"I would rather them wear those masks and see what their eyes have to say, you know? Just this Summer, of course, I wouldn’t want to make it a permanent thing,” he joked.
As to whether he plans to stage any virtual shows over Zoom, as some have done in recent weeks, Landry said he wasn’t interested.
"I think when I do a show, you need to be in the room with me to get it,” he said. “For me, [show business] really is the idea of the energy that is passed from the performer to the audience and back to the performer, and how that works for an hour… I don’t understand how you’d even do that with video.”
In the meantime, Landry said he’s continuing to paint, and even has his first solo show in the works. If you’re curious, he said you can check out some of his work on his Facebook profile.
