I still struggle to articulate fully what a profound sense of loss I felt, not being able to participate in the ritual of theatregoing during the era of mandated physical distancing. As much of my writing in the pages of PAJ over the years reflects, I derive tremendous joy and fulfillment from the experience of attending live performance events. Indeed, I have come to regard it as essential to my overall sense of well-being. Spending a seemingly endless number of days conducting my professional, personal, and social life in virtual spaces only served to underscore just how impossible it is to replicate the thrill of engaging in acts of collective spectatorship, despite the valiant efforts that many artists around the globe made to try and keep themselves and their cloistered audiences connected and invigorated creatively.
Of course, while disruptions to regular rhythms and routines are often disorienting, they can also...