For my second live-streamed show during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was looking for a simple Japanese story to tell to an international audience. I teamed up with Irish composer Anna Murray, and we realized that we both shared an interest in the story of The Peony Lantern (牡丹燈籠), as popularized by Lafcadio Hearn.
This time, I didn’t take on a performance role and instead focused and writing, directing, and producing. I also ran the livestream, cutting between 3 different cameras. I brought together an amazing international team, included two Broadway designers sidelined by the pandemic, and I think the result was pretty visually stunning. I consciously used the cameras to create a hybrid experience for the audience, all of whom were watching live online.
You can still pay to watch the recording of the show here.
