The Rural Root Theatre Company (RRTC) is taking their annual spring production and moving it online.

“At its best, community theatre brings together people from all walks of life to share ideas and create friendships,” the RRTC released in a statement today (May 21). “This has been Rural Root Theatre’s strength since 2005, and they have no intention of stopping, current social distancing measures aside.”

To accommodate ongoing government-imposed restrictions on gatherings, Rural Root has decided to take their next production entirely online. The upcoming production of Couples by Sean Grennan will stream live online from June 11 to June 13, starting at 7 p.m. The play features a therapist and three couples who participate virtually in group couples therapy.

The RRTC says there is a lot of interest from other theatre groups and the author himself to see how this new format will be received.  

“It’s completely different from anything we’ve done before, and it’s not without its challenges,” director Roy Ballantine said. “We don’t know of other theatre groups who have tried this, so there will be a learning curve, and we’ll be at the mercy of technology. But we really wanted to do something that would engage our members, promote our sponsors and give back to our community.”

Using software made popular by the pandemic, the production will be broadcast on Zoom video conferencing. 

Spring has been challenging for the RRTC the last few years. This is the third time in four years the RRTC’s spring production has been hampered by events out of its control. In 2017 and 2019, the RRTC had to delay its spring production due to extreme flooding.

In the spirit of theatre, the online production will be live.

Each show will run approximately 30 minutes, with a brief intermission. Audience members will receive an email invitation that will allow them to register for the live performance. There will be no charge for the show, but patrons can make a donation to the West Carleton Food Access Centre.

For more information on the production, visit ruralroot.org or http://www.facebook.com/ruralroot.