Theatre Productions Online
Everything You Need to Know to Take Your Theatre Performances Online
From the local auditorium all the way to Broadway, theatre makers have felt the devastating impact of COVID-19 in their communities. But the show can go on! With easy, accessible theatre streaming tools, even schools, community theatres, and independent producers on a limited budget can keep making work and connecting with audiences at a safe physical distance. These capabilities will remain important even after the pandemic, to provide access to a wider audience and to help support audience growth efforts.
How to stream theatre
Many theatre makers assume that streaming is fundamentally different from live theatre. In reality, it’s just another way to deliver your performance—in this case, to a remote audience over the internet.
Your streamed performance may be presented live or pre-recorded, at a specific date and time or accessed on demand, depending on your creative vision, audience considerations, and any stipulations or limitations in your licensing agreement, if you are producing a published show.
Just like lighting and sound tech, the purpose of streaming technology for theatre is to support your show artistically and practically.
To create and share the performance video, you will need, at minimum: basic AV equipment (you can even use a mobile device!); a stable connection to the internet; a hosting and streaming platform; and a ticketing system capable of delivering a secure viewing link to your audience members.
Online theatre streaming tools have come a long way! It is now easy and affordable to stream your production, no matter what your budget or level of tech savvy.
There’s also plenty of room for creativity in your artistic and technical choices. However simple or elaborate your production can be is entirely up to you.
Theatre Streaming: A Journey
- Most theatres had productions cancelled or interrupted due to the pandemic
- Many successfully remounted their show in a streamed format
- Some enjoyed such success they are producing other streamed theatre
- Various theatres chose a virtual production format...
- ...while others streamed a traditionally staged show
- Now, taking theatre online has never been easier
With a bit of creativity and informed decision making, it’s very possible to create a rich audience even at a distance. But first, you’ll need to decide what production format best serves the artistic vision and practical circumstances of your play or musical.
Streaming Live Theatre: The Basics
Because each show, each audience, and each organization is different, there is no one right way to stream your live theatrical production.
There is, however, a best approach for your specific situation! The key is to ask yourself the right questions to get to the solution you need:
What are you allowed to do with the material?
If you’re working with original or unpublished material, or your script is in the public domain, then you can move on to the next questions without worry.
If your material is licensed, however, you’ll need to read that agreement very carefully. Publishers commonly have separate licensing terms for streamed content, and not all shows are available for streaming. Check with your publisher before making any further decisions.
What amount of public gathering is allowed in your location?
If safety protocols require complete physical distancing, virtual production and streaming allow for a fully remote performance, usually via a video conferencing platform.
If your cast is able to rehearse and perform together in one place, you may choose to stream a traditionally staged production to a remote audience, with or without additional live audience present in your performance space.
Are you producing a play or a musical?
It’s simpler, from a technical perspective, to stream a play than a musical. This is due to the complexities inherent in capturing audio, especially if your performers aren’t all in the same location.
For virtual performances—where your cast is logging into a production platform, such as Zoom, from their own homes or other locations—know that there will always be an audio latency issue to deal with.
Because not all internet connections are created equal, the inherent delay between live action and transmission won’t necessarily be the same from one person’s device to the next. While it’s usually imperceptible in a spoken scene, a lag of even split seconds can become disastrous when you’re trying to capture a coherent musical number.
There are new tools being developed to mitigate this problem, but the best rule of thumb is that if you’re producing remotely, you should either work with non-musical content or plan to record and professionally edit your video instead of streaming truly live.
If you are capturing your video in a theater or other performance space, it is entirely possible to get high-quality musical footage in an empty house. Things start to get tricky, however, when you have a physically distanced in-house audience while simultaneously streaming to viewers at home.
This is because the settings that create a great audio experience for patrons in the theater won’t necessarily make for optimal video sound quality, and vice versa. In this scenario, it is highly recommended that you hire a sound engineer who is experienced in both live and recorded production.
How tech savvy is your team?
We’ve all seen big production value, made-for-television-or-streaming theatre. So, when streaming our own show, it can be easy to set the creative vision bar pretty high.
Keep in mind, however, that those shows are created in collaboration with Hollywood’s best and brightest. If, like most theatre makers out there, you and your team aren’t quite so experienced in shooting theatre for professional-quality video, it’s best to keep your goals realistic and achievable.
If you don’t already have an AV setup and editing software you love to work with, we strongly recommend On The Stage’s all-in-one platform, which combines all the tools and functionality you need to create and stream your performance in an easy, integrated package.
If you’re comfortable with video production and want to use a more elaborate setup, then by all means get as creative as you want. In that case, all you’ll need is a streaming platform that meets your licensor’s security requirements and a way to sell single-user tickets. (Pro tip: On The Stage is a great solution here, too!)
What's your Budget
We’ve all seen big production value, made-for-television-or-streaming theatre. So, when streaming our own show, it can be easy to set the creative vision bar pretty high.
Keep in mind, however, that those shows are created in collaboration with Hollywood’s best and brightest. If, like most theatre makers out there, you and your team aren’t quite so experienced in shooting theatre for professional-quality video, it’s best to keep your goals realistic and achievable.
If you don’t already have an AV setup and editing software you love to work with, we strongly recommend On The Stage’s all-in-one platform, which combines all the tools and functionality you need to create and stream your performance in an easy, integrated package.
If you’re comfortable with video production and want to use a more elaborate setup, then by all means get as creative as you want. In that case, all you’ll need is a streaming platform that meets your licensor’s security requirements and a way to sell single-user tickets. (Pro tip: On The Stage is a great solution here, too!)
No matter how much you have—or don’t have—to spend on streaming, it’s possible to create a high-quality theatrical experience using technology that’s within your budget.
Pre-Production: Planning, Technology & Design
Programming for Online Theatre & Performance
The most successful streamed amateur theatre productions we’ve seen (and we’ve seen A LOT) have all had a few things in common: they keep the tech simple, focus on acting and storytelling more than spectacle, and adapt their direction to the medium instead of trying to exactly replicate the in-person theatrical experience.
The great news is that all of these things are achievable in either virtual or traditionally staged environments, and on any size budget.
The most important factors to consider at the beginning of your process, then, whether you’re selecting a single script for streaming or programming an entire online season, are:
- What are your goals, artistically and from a business perspective?
- How ambitious or conservative do you want or need to be in your decision making to achieve those goals?
- What can be realistically achieved, given safety measures, technical abilities and your available talent pool?
Once you have answered those questions, you can move on to looking at specific material for production. As a general rule, whether you are producing virtually or staging your show in a theater with physical distancing protocols in place, the smaller your cast, the more successful your show is likely to be.
Another important consideration, when programming for streamed performance, is who owns the rights to the show you want to stage.
Some publishers are more accommodating than others when it comes to licensing for online theatre. Some even have exclusive agreements with specific software providers and will require you to use their tools of choice to create and/or stream their material.
This is more a matter of them suddenly having to operate in new and unexpected circumstances, however, than it is about publishers wanting to limit artists’ creative and practical choices. As the licensing houses come to better understand the tech sector’s market-informed, user-focused best practices, and as they hear from more and more producers who want to be able to make their own decisions, these strict stipulations are likely to be relaxed.
Wherever you get your material, remember that plays will be much easier to manage in a streaming environment than musicals, for all the reasons we’ve already discussed. But try not to focus on the limitations. Rather, take this opportunity to reimagine what you might do with your programming.
Recent trends in ticket sales show that audiences want to support theatre during this challenging period. So, allow yourself to think outside the usual boxes and trust that your community will show up generously and with an open mind.
If you’ll be streaming a staged performance, you will need, at minimum:
- An iPhone or video camera
- Tripod
- Sound board
- Cable to connect your input to your laptop
- Hosting site for your video
- Secure streaming platform for distribution
- Ticketing platform with single-sign on capabilities
Chances are, if you're planning to live-stream a staged performance you'll have a fairly sophisticated camera setup. It is possible, however, to produce quality video on simple equipment. Either way, On The Stage's streaming platform was designed to support you from pre-production through final curtain and beyond.
For virtual productions, each participant should have:
- A laptop with a built-in or external camera*
- The most recent version of all relevant software, loaded onto the laptop
- Fully-charged devices, with access to a power supply during use
* If you have participants without access to a laptop, make sure whatever mobile device they are using is on a tripod or other stand for stability.
Ideally, each participant should also have a physical (vs. WiFi) connection to the internet. For the best possible sound quality, consider using external microphones. Most external mics have at least some level of noise blocking, which will significantly limit the amount of background noise that might interfere with your performance.
Virtual producers will also need:
- A hosting site for your video
- Secure streaming platform for distribution
- Ticketing platform with single-sign on capabilities
On the Stage's all-in-one platform includes all the tools you need to create, promote, ticket, and stream your virtual theatre production. You can even use virtual backgrounds for cohesive set design, host a live talk-back after the performance, and more.
Designing Your Audience Experience
If you follow what’s happening on Broadway, you’ve probably experienced a content-rich show site. The artwork, the video clips, the cast bios and headshots—all linked, of course, to social media and carefully curated with catchy hashtags.
These websites aren’t just about ticketing transactions. They’re designed to invite the audience into the world of the show, creating opportunities for meaningful engagement, and make people feel like part of a shared experience.
For streamed theatre, it’s even more important to build an online destination where your audience can get some of that live theatre experience that they would otherwise miss. This website should:
- Link to all your social media accounts;
- Enable visitors to purchase tickets and souvenir merchandise right there on the site;
- Provide easy access to your secure viewing portal.
All of this creates a cohesive and satisfying experience for your patrons, which makes the whole part about watching your show on a screen instead of live on stage feel a lot less isolating.
Your Streamed Theatre Production Team
When streaming a traditionally staged show, you may or may not need to add an AV operator or crew to your production team. This will depend entirely on the scope of your production and whether you plan to use an all-in-one production platform or opt for a more elaborate, DIY approach.
Everyone involved in a virtual production, on the other hand, the makeup of your team might change altogether. In fact, almost every job can be performed by the Director, if required.
The one support role we strongly recommend you budget for is a Virtual Stage Manager. In addition to performing all of the usual functions of the job that are still relevant in a virtual environment, this person can also handle the technical functions of the video conferencing platform itself, freeing you up to focus on directing the show.
Technical tasks and responsibilities that can be delegated to your Virtual Stage Manager include:
Pre-Production
Distribute audition sides via email
Collect and organize actor self-tapes
Create and host Zoom sessions for callbacks if required
Manage and confirm script delivery
Add cast contacts, headshots and bios to your show site
Manage virtual rehearsal schedule and make sure actors have meeting links
Manage platform settings and operation during rehearsals
Manage or coordinate any other tasks you delegate
Production
Distribute your virtual background(s) and support cast with installation
Meet with cast members to run through their equipment and lighting setup prior to tech
Manage all platform operations during tech and live performance
Check cast equipment and lighting before live performance
Start live stream to begin the performance
Check viewing page to verify live streaming
Be on book & ready to step in with cues if necessary
Production: Special Considerations for Streamed Theatre
Physically Distanced Auditions
In a virtual production environment, we encourage you to take a cue from the recent casting trend toward actor-submitted self-tapes and follow these basic guidelines for successful online auditions:
- Focus on monologues so your actors won’t have to take risks to find a reader.
- Skip directly to the sides instead of asking actors to choose their own material. Since you won’t have the benefit of being in the room with auditioners anyway, you’ll find what you’re looking for more efficiently by focusing on the script you’re actually looking to cast.
- If you want or need to hold callbacks, narrow your lists as much as possible first, then schedule one-on-one virtual sessions to work more deeply with individual actors. Remember, this is more like a staged reading than a fully mounted production and your actors will never be in the same physical space with one another. For better or for worse, this makes chemistry less of a factor in casting.
Virtual productions
Each participant should have:
- A laptop with a built-in or external camera*
- The most recent version of all relevant software, loaded onto the laptop
- Fully-charged devices, with access to a power supply during use
* If you have participants without access to a laptop, make sure whatever mobile device they are using is on a tripod or other stand for stability.
Follow these best practices to make the best use of your time:
- Set the stage. Before you get started, encourage everyone to get comfortable in their space and make quick adjustments to lighting where necessary, so that you can all see one another's faces. Encourage people to get a glass of water if they don’t already have one within reach.
- Make sure that your Stage Manager is present and prepared to assist. (Although, if you're working with an experienced Stage Manager, they'll almost certainly be more prepared than anyone else!)
- Structure your ice breaker. Let’s face it, video conferencing can be awkward. At the first rehearsal, begin by getting to know one another in a structured way. You can even send introductory questions out in advance. But don’t forget to set a time limit for each person’s response, or you might end up losing people’s attention.
- Start with a table read. By diving right into the text, you’ll help your actors to quickly orient themselves to this new experience. A group of actors with their scripts, it doesn’t get more normal than that, right?
- Communicate, communicate, communicate. This is a whole new way of acting and directing. When challenges arise (and they will), instead of just giving notes, talk with your cast about what’s working and what isn’t. They may offer insights that spark new and creative solutions.
- Schedule plenty of time for tech. We cannot stress this enough. In a typical production, actors are used to being moved from place to place during a tech rehearsal, saying a few lines, and then waiting while the designers and crew do their thing. In a virtual production, your actors will most likely have technical actions of their own to perfect (turning mic/video on and off, changing virtual background, etc.) without breaking character or dropping lines. This requires a lot of practice. Make sure you plan accordingly.
The Online Producer’s Toolkit: Theatre Streaming Made Easy
There are many tools out there to help theatre makers manage the various steps and processes necessary for streaming your show. You may already be using one or another of them in your traditional productions and comfortable with how it works.
But things are hard enough right now. Why spend time and resources piecing together a complex system when On The Stage has built an all-in-one production and streaming platform that seamlessly integrates every one of the functions you’ll need into a single, easy-to-use toolkit?
On the Stage's all-in-one platform includes all the tools you need to create, promote, ticket, and stream your virtual theatre production. You can even use virtual backgrounds for cohesive set design, host a live talk-back after the performance, and more.
Our end-to-end system includes:
- A user-friendly online TICKETING system that saves time, increases accuracy and detail of reporting, and streamlines processes for producers, patrons, box office workers, and volunteers.
- A public-facing PROMOTION portal, fully branded with client/production content and designed to function as a hub for all online marketing and grassroots promotional efforts.
- Adaptable AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT features, such as social linking, a customized and hassle-free merchandise shop, multimedia uploads directly to web pages, season subscriptions, donation processing, and list collection for future promotions.
- An end-to-end STREAMING PLATFORM to let you produce, promote, ticket, and stream your show to a remote audience, whether you’re recording everything virtually or staging a traditional production for at-home ticket holders.
- Best-in-class SUPPORT from dedicated Product Specialists, from the first day with ON THE STAGE through final reporting and planning for your next production.
Use the whole platform, or create your production video with your own equipment and upload the feed for streaming. Either way, you’ll have full access to our ticketing, promotion, and engagement tools, as well as complete reporting and list building functionality.
The best part is that none of this will cost your organization a thing unless you choose to absorb the minimal fees that are usually passed on to the patron at the box office.
We’ve helped thousands of theatre makers to level up their traditional productions. And from the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve been working to create accessible solutions to help keep theatre alive, no matter what challenges our communities face.
Just ask the hundreds of theatre makers who have used On The Stage to stream their shows to audiences across the country. The Show Must Go On[line].