Diversity

Keeping a Proper Social Distance by Turning on the Radio

By Jeff Jordan for Urban Milwaukee.com

What the What? We have two and a half months of theater left, and they

stop performing. It was Friday, March 13th. I was preparing to interview

Sherry Lutken, the director of the upcoming Milwaukee Repertory Theater's

(MRT) production of Hootenanny The Musicale when I got the memo. MRT

was halting presentation of everything they had on four stages until April 6.

That opened the flood gates, as everybody in the theater community came

through with similar plans.

So here we are sheltering in place. And why not? It's not only the theaters

that are abbreviating or canceling events. Everything from restaurants to

churches are shutting their doors to group activity. If we turn on our

television sets, we get twenty-four hours of reminders to wash our hands

and pictures of disappointed people trying to buy an SUV load of toilet

paper.

Some of us are alone. Some of us are sheltering with our families. Some of

us who are sheltering with our families wish we were alone. We've taken

out the dusty box that holds our Monopoly game and found out that too

many pieces are missing. We found two other board games, but no one

remembers how to play them, and the instructions are gone.

What are we to do? It's day three. We have advance cases of cabin fever,

but since it is not accompanied by dry cough and tiredness, they won't treat

us at the ER.

Those of us who are really really old remember sitting around the radio with

our family, listening to entertainment like talent competition, drama, comedy

and the news. It was like TV without the screen. Well, believe it or not,

radio is making a comeback. We now call it a podcast. So, pop on your

earpieces, turn on your phone, Pad, or desktop and listen along America.

My favorite podcast is The Moth . The Moth is a storytelling competition. It

started years ago in NYC and is now international. The podcast replays

memorable stories that were told during competition. Thanks to Nicki

Robinson and company, we have a version of the Moth in Milwaukee.

Usually, it's held once a month at the Anodyne Coffee Shop on 224 W.

Bruce St in Walker's Point.

If you're into great stories about generally unknown people tune in to This

American Life (TAL) . It's The Moth done by professionals. In each version,

Ira Glass takes us through a theme that points out the wonder that can be

found in everyday life. Based in Chicago, TAL has brought us the voice of

people on both sides of many issues like climate change, gun rights, and

something as universal as coming of age experiences.

Can't wait for the next pearls of wisdom falling from the lips of Malcolm

Gladwell. Wait no more. Click on Revisionist History, where Gladwell

reveals stories that take us through adventures not told before. Such as the

history of McDonald's french fries and why they don't taste as good they

used to. At the very least, this tale will give you one more person to hate

along side of Hitler and Sadam. If you weren't alive when the original

McDonald's french fries were prepared in animal fat, the story would mean

nothing to you. However, the other stories will fascinate you.

If you watched the exclusive streaming of Modern Love on Amazon, you

are more than likely wanting more. The film features true-life stories about

love in today's society that are gleaned from a NYT column. The podcast

follows the same format where actors read the stories. However, it is an

audio form only, no video. It's just like old time radio. These stories can be

serious, funny, or informative. There is one thing that is true about all of

them. They are relatable. You will find yourself or someone you know in

these stories.

Okay, Mister writer of preview columns about upcoming theater in

Milwaukee, what are you going to do while we all shelter in place? That's is

an excellent question for me to ask myself. Answer. First, I'm going to be

writing previews of five different shows that might resume after the

self-imposed break. But there is something else. I found in an article in the

NYT that maybe the warm hug I need because I will miss the people and

performances I'm not seeing.

6 Podcasts for the Theater appeared in the March 16th online version of

NYT, I looked at all of them. I subscribed to two of them, Playing on Air and

Curtain Call Theater. They are available on your preferred podcast

provider. I got my subscription on iTunes.

Playing on Air is more about performance than shit-chat between people

that think because they are laughing at each other's snakey table talk with

references and word usage a lot of us don't understand that we will be

laughing with them. Playing on Air is about and contains performance.

Curtain Call Theater is very much like Playing On Air but from a British

viewpoint. While realizing American actors are talented, one has to admit

that British theater is where it all started.

So, there we are, you're alone or with your family. Everyone is sitting

around the computer listening to the podcast. You wish you had a better

sound system or a way for everyone to have wireless headsets. Everyone

is having fun with this "new" way of enjoying family fun. The tear-filled

outbreaks of grief because "I can't be with my friends" have subsided.

Everyone is smiling.

There is only a couple of things bothering you now. You're looking at the

popcorn supply dwindle at a faster rate than you've ever experienced, and

you don't know if you've got enough hand sanitizer. Call me. I have limited

amounts of both. I will share it. You can replace it after this thing has

passed, the prices go down, and we can all get together again.