Behind The Scenes: Virtual Intimacy
Written by Jason Marsiglia
Image Description: A male presenting person is in a white t-shirt is leaning on a white block. There is a mic taped to his face. Behind him, out of focus, is someone standing by a camera on a tripod. Photographer: Michelle Grace Hunter via AsiaTOPA
Virtual Intimacy is a project that I am incredibly proud to have worked on. A collaboration between ActNow and Taiwan based Very Theatre, the project was incredibly ambitious from my perspective; two directors coming together from different countries, cultures and backgrounds, to create a show that explores something deeply personal – intimacy for queer men, particularly around online spaces.
Our development and rehearsal period was truly jam-packed. Although there had been prior developments, the work is a complex beast and there were many elements that we wanted to sharpen up, including the structure, various styles of storytelling, audience involvement, filmed footage, interviews with the directors and community members storytelling. Although that sounds like a lot for one project to tackle in a short time, we had an incredible team of collaborators from Australia and Taiwan working together to create what would ultimately be a provocative and exciting work.
One of the most exciting elements for me was the audience involvement. We asked a series of questions throughout the show, which the audience answered via an app on their phone. These answers were displayed on two large screens. This provided a rare opportunity for the audience to reflect and contribute their own experiences to the storytelling in real-time.
Image Description: Two male presenting actors are lit up on a dark stage. They are both wearing denim blue jeans and white shirts. One of them is leaning back on and posing for a camera phone that is being held by the other actor. Photographer: Michelle Grace Hunter via Asia TOPA
Image Description: Two male presenting actors are dressed in denim blue jeans and white shirts. They are by a white block. One of the people is on the right hand side, seated on the block with his hands up in front of him and an anxious expression. The other person is on his knees on the left hand side, leaning towards the other person with a seductive expression. Photographer: Michelle Grace Hunter via Asia TOPA
A key element of the project was the involvement of a group of community members, made up of a diverse range of queer men, the majority of which had little to no performance experience. They were all incredibly generous by offering their history, sharing their stories and allowing themselves to be vulnerable and authentic.
At the end of the piece the directors and actors were joined by the community members on stage, one by one, as they each shared with us what they were truly looking for, not just limited to sex or dating, but their honest hopes and yearnings. This moment was truly the heart of the show. It allowed our audience to see a window into the challenges and struggles queer men can face or perhaps see a reflection of their own experience.
I think this moment captured the major success of the work, which was creating an impactful sense of community. I have often felt so isolated and inadequate when it comes to sex, dating and intimacy, and this is very common for queer men. Virtual Intimacy acknowledged and considered this shared feeling, and in doing so fostered a sense of togetherness and meaningful connection that you can’t find behind a screen. Performers, directors, community members and the audience were all ultimately united by our fears and insecurities, by our hopes and desires.
We were extremely fortunate to be able to present Virtual Intimacy, as we finished our season just before COVID 19 had begun to drastically affect the arts landscape. In fact, we were the very last show to be presented by the Arts Centre prior to their indefinite closure. During this time of isolation, I’m very grateful that we were able to bring people together through this project and give them the opportunity to reflect and connect.
Image Description: A male presenting actor is lit up on a dark stage. His is wearing a white shirts. His face is half lit in a warm, red light. His is in mid speech. Photographer: Michelle Grace Hunter via Asia TOPA