The Corona Variations
Conceived, written & directed by Julie Tepperman
“A well-engineered marvel of calls… it’s the opposite of screaming into the void. …I’m glad I picked up.”
A cycle of six short “Phone Plays” for one audience - or one household - at a time.
Production History
The Corona Variations ran in April and May of 2020. Each audience member received six phone calls over the course of an evening - one call every half hour. Their phone would ring, they’d answer “Converge against Corona!”, and the play would begin.
There were six plays in total. For three of them audiences just listened in; one of them involved a surprise moment of improvisation; and two of them invited audiences to take on a character, reading from a script (with their lines only) that they received just before the performance, with a set of simple instructions.
Eight households could participate in one evening, meaning the 12 actors each performed their play eight times a night. By the end of May, the actors had given more than 200 performances over the phone.
Playwright's Note
Both The Corona Variations and The COVID Commissions were born out of my impulse to create and connect in the early days of this crisis. The motivation was simple: Artists need work, and audiences need art.
We at Convergence had been flirting with the idea of intimate encounters over the phone for some time, but the technology and co-ordination required always scared us.
The pandemic forced us to embrace a more DIY approach; perhaps there was something mysterious, charming, comforting, and even sexy about receiving a phone call from a stranger and briefly escaping into their world, all the while knowing that the actors on the other end of the line were all self-isolating in their homes too.
I'm extraordinarily grateful to this brave creative team, and to everyone who dared to pick up the phone.
— Julie
Cast
April 2020
May 2020
Reviews
“Doing a show over the phone really works. Sound can be enough to really build a world and take you someplace else. …It was definitely a jolt. And it was so lovely. I wanted to listen to them talk all night.
...It brought home the sheer vastness of emotional responses people are having to being isolated, and how many of these narratives are forced to play out via phone. It makes you feel less alone in the night.”
“Each piece felt thoroughly present, holding my focus in a different way than the multitude of lovely performances currently on my screens. …I hung up the phone for the last time that evening, and I burst into tears.”
“Collectively, they make for a thoroughly enjoyable and imaginative experience. …The Corona Variations was a lot of fun, and participating as an actor gave the experience a frisson of added adventure. And lest we forget, the play cycle provides us with an evening of something new and different, which is a big bonus in our current stay-at-home lives.”
“The stories are poignant and hilarious. …Tepperman has beautifully captured the whimsy and depth of emotion that the characters are going through, and by extension, the audience...Convergence Theatre is doing the impossible, bringing us theatre by phone and making it meaningful and joyful. The Corona Variations is a wonderful accomplishment.”
“That was very absorbing – 6 slices of life during COVID-19 in 8-10 minute vignettes. Some were interactive, some felt like eavesdropping, all opened up distinct little worlds and for a brief moment made me reflect on mine.”
Audience Testimonials
“This was a sparkling, funny, touching, and novel experience, reflecting the art of the miniature and the skill of the writer and performers.”
“All the plays offered something to delight, or to muse upon. I think you did a tremendous job looking at the various experiences of isolation and quarantine. And the actors were marvellous in this new (at least for the theatre) medium. Bravo!”
“I was fascinated by the little glimpses these mini-plays gave into the reality of others at a time when it is important to empathize.”
“What a generous, soft and tiny, giant and fierce piece of art.”
“That was fabulous, so much fun. I loved the mix of comedy and more serious drama. Proof that a lot can be revealed in 10 minutes.”
“We’re still talking about it this morning. …The phone almost felt like a character in the work. We especially liked the interactive pieces. A simple way of making it more fun.”
“The writing was so good, with a great mix of drama and comedy. I hope it has another life, when this is all over.”
“A personal performance just for me. I’m framing my cell phone!”
“This whole thing is such a simple and kind way to reach out across the quaran-void with theatre. I’m thankful you decided to do it.”
Previews
Read all about our project:
NOW Magazine and Mooney on Theatre.
THANK YOU
to our generous donors
Note: This list is up-to-date as of June 1, 2020. Please notify us of any errors or omissions so that we can correct them, with our sincerest apologies.
- Lead Donor:
- Rochelle Rubinstein
- Anonymous x 19
- Adam Pettle & Patricia Fagan
- Ali & Josh Engel-Yan
- Allison Hannah
- Ann Robertson
- Anne Fleming
- Barbara Fingerote
- Barbara Salsberg
- Brent Vickar & Don DeBoer
- Carolyn Tanner
- Cathy Shilton & Don Baker
- David S. Craig
- Derrick Chua
- Diane Ulster
- Dianne Saxe
- Dmitry Chepovetsky
- Don O'Shaughnessy
- Dorothy Pestell
- Doug Ewart
- Doug Watters
- Eleanor O'Connor
- Evelyn Tauben
- Fun with The Wrightboroughs
- Gaïa Willis
- Geoffrey & Peggy Baines
- Hart Schwartz & Tama Soble
- Heather & Ken Snell
- James McKinney and Anna Zissou
- Jan Westlund & David Turner
- Janet Lewis
- Jeanette Cairns
- Jeff Patterson
- Jessica Dargo Caplan
- Joan Willingham
- Juliet Melville-Willis
- Karen Franklin
- Karen Fricker
- Kshama Patel
- Laurence & Judy Siegel
- Laurie Finer
- Len and Susanna Dvorkin
- Linda Kash
- Linda Pope
- Lisa Hayes
- Lo Fine
- Lynda Del Grande
- Maitland Pat
- Margaret Sellers
- Marilyn Tate
- Mel Annand
- Melody Johnson
- Nancy Stewart
- Naomi Campbell
- Nick and Marion
- Nora Gold and David Weiss
- Pamela Paris
- Patricia Patchet-Golubev
- Pearce Herchenrader
- Peter & Lesley Sevitt
- Randall & Cindy Willis
- Rebecca Moershe
- Risa & Perry Tepperman
- Roz Train
- Ruth & Harold Margles
- Sarah Colman & Jared Peck
- Seneca Aaron
- Sharon Weintraub
- Shayne Robinson & Rachel Melzer
- Shery Leeder
- Steven Bush
- Susan Honsberger & Jim O'Reilly
- Susan Moellers
- Thomas Junek
- Tova Epp
Rights
Reading copies of The Corona Variations are currently available. Please direct all inquiries below.