Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Congratulations are in order for the Riverland Community College Theatre Department. To stage a “virtual” live theatre production as they just did with “She Kills Monsters” was truly courageous. It must have taken a great deal of additional effort on the part of staff and cast members but they pulled it off!

Even though the show was presented online and not in a theatre, the production was enjoyable to watch. Just as important to me, though, is that the play certainly gave the student actors and crew an entirely different learning experience. Each had to learn new technical skills to operate their remote cameras and sound equipment. Different performance styles had to be taught and rehearsed as cast members worked in front of individual cameras from their individual homes, not being able to see their cast mates while they were performing the show live.

It was wonderful to see a relatively small theatre department go the extra mile to stage a production for the public while providing new opportunities for Riverland students in the midst of the pandemic. “Hats off” to everyone involved.

Eric Olson

Austin, MN