Get ready!
We’re so excited that you’re part of this grand telephone experiment, The Corona Variations – a cycle of six short phone plays.
Below are a set of simple instructions, as well as the two scripts for the two plays for when you will be reading with the actor who calls you. Please refer to the schedule in your email to know when to read them. For the other four plays, all you have to do is listen!
You will receive a total of six phone calls over the course of your three hours from a blocked number or “UNKNOWN CALLER ID”. The calls will come to you every half an hour, and each play will last no longer than 10 minutes.
Remember to answer the phone by saying: “Converge Against Corona!” This is the actor’s cue to begin the play.
Remember, all calls are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
The Scripts
These scripts contain your lines only. Feel free to read them ahead of time—or don’t if you want to be surprised.
Please make sure they are on-hand and ready-to-go as per the schedule you received via email.
You can read off of your computer, iPad, or print the pages. (It may be challenging to read it on your phone at the same time as being on your phone.)
Don’t forget to have your reading glasses ready if you need them!
If listening in a pair or a group, please decide ahead of time who is going to be the reader.
And don’t worry, it will be obvious when it’s your turn to speak. The actors will take good care of you and prompt you if need be!
Tele-Therapy
with Jean
Tele-Therapy
with Gene
Blind (Phone) Date
5 tips for a great experience
1. There's a helpline. ↓
If you do not receive a call 3 minutes past your scheduled start time, please phone or text our Helpline.
Please also phone or text if ever the call is lost mid-way through and the actors don’t call you back within a few minutes.
If the call is lost, once the actors have reached you again, they will ask you, “What is the last thing you heard?”, and then will continue from there.
If you decide mid-way through your experience that you no longer want to receive the remainder of your phone calls, please text or phone the helpline to let us know to stop phoning you!
2. Add a friend to your call.
If you want to experience the plays with someone who isn’t with you in your home, please call them a few minutes before your scheduled call.
When you receive your call from the blocked number, you can put your friend on hold to answer, then merge the calls. Don’t worry if you forget to call your friend ahead of time. When you answer the call from the blocked number, please say: “Hang on while I add a call”, and the actors will wait to start while you add your friend.
3. Make sure you can hear everything.
If at any time you can’t hear because of a poor connection or due to volume issues, please don’t hesitate to say: “I can’t hear you!” and the actors will adjust.
Please make sure your ringer volume is up and that “Do Not Disturb!” is turned off so you can hear your phone ring!
The plays are best listened to with headphones if you’re on a cell phone. If listening with a group, best to put your phone on speaker.
4. You don't have to mute.
No need to put your phone on mute, unless you’re living in a busy home and worried about background noise.
The actors LOVE to hear you laughing, or reacting vocally, just like at the theatre. Your laughter is NOT distracting… just the opposite—it’s encouraging!
5. You'll get the programme. Later.
At the end of your experience, you will be emailed a link to a secret part of our website where you can see who wrote what and who was in each play.
Or if you’re feeling creative, you can leave a personalized audio or video message for the cast telling us about your experience.
Content Advisory
PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Recommended for ages 16+.
SUBJECT MATTER: All of the plays explore people's very real feelings about the current COVID-19 outbreak. There is a mix of humour and lightness along with the dark. We hope that people will find the content uplifting. That said, you are welcome to hang up at any time without jeopardizing any of your upcoming phone calls. (The actors will assume it's a dropped-call and will try calling you back, but you don't need to answer their call.) Please text or phone the helpline if you decide to "opt out" so the actors know to stop calling you!