Ursinus College's Theater Capstone Course presents
Isolated Together: Stories from the COVID-19 Pandemic
A Living Newspaper Radio Play Mission Statement We have created this piece to share different experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic in the hope of fostering understanding of varying perspectives and beginning a conversation about what we can and should do during these unprecedented times.
Our Process
For our original Capstone project, we wanted to focus on the effects of technology on young people in society today. We spent the first few weeks of the semester narrowing down our research and coming to a consensus on the ideas we wanted to include in our living newspaper. Before going on spring break, we were going to finish working on our scenes for each vignette, with the goal of finalizing our product for our return. When COVID-19 hit, everything changed and the college moved to remote learning before anyone returned from Spring Break. With all of this change, we came together to figure out the future of our original plans. When we met over a video call, we decided to change our topic to the coronavirus pandemic. Although we could no longer stage our living newspaper for a live audience, we decided to write and perform it as a radio play to share the perspectives of different groups of people, bringing us together in our isolation.
What is a living newspaper?
As a part of the New Deal initiative, on April 8th, 1935 the Roosevelt administration passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation act which funded the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Designed to help lessen the burden of the economic stress facing the country, the WPA created numerous public works projects that employed more than 8.5 million laborers throughout its lifespan. One of the elements of the WPA was the Federal Theater Project (FTP). Focused on the arts, it was the first federal project created during Roosevelt’s presidency. The goal of the FTP was to re- employ the large theater industry which had been hit so hard during the onset of the Great Depression. Living newspapers, an art form originating in Europe, were part of the FTP. These were theater pieces designed to bring current events to the people and raise awareness of the issues the country was facing at that moment in time.
Timeline of Events (as of April 22, 2020)
-Dec. 31, 2019: World Health Organization (WHO) says -March 17, 2020: Northern Californians ordered to mysterious pneumonia sickening dozens in China "shelter in place" Health authorities in China confirm that dozens of Six counties in the San Francisco area ordered to people in Wuhan, China are being treated for "shelter in place" for three weeks, meaning pneumonia from an unknown source. Many of residents are required to remain at home unless those sickened had visited a live animal market in they are leaving the house for an essential reason or Wuhan, but authorities say there is no evidence of are exercising outdoors. the virus spreading from person to person. -March 20, 2020: New York City declared U.S. -Jan. 21, 2020: 1st confirmed case in the United States outbreak epicenter A man in his 30s from Washington state, who New York City state reports that more than 15,000 traveled to Wuhan, is diagnosed with novel people have tested positive for COVID-19 and coronavirus. Japan, South Korea, and Thailand also account for roughly half of the infections in the report their first cases one day prior. country. The vast majority of New Yorkers with COVID-19 are in the New York City region, which -Feb. 26, 2020: 1st case of suspected local transmission Mayor Bill de Blasio calls the "the epicenter of this in United States crisis," warning that the outbreak will get worse as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supplies dwindle. (CDC) confirm the first case of COVID-19 in a patient in California with neither travel history to -March 26, 2020: United States leads the world in an outbreak area nor contact with anyone COVID-19 cases diagnosed with the virus. It's suspected to be the The United States now has more confirmed first instance of local transmission in the United coronavirus cases than any other country in the States. Oregon, Washington, and New York soon world, with cases topping 82,000 and deaths report their own cases of possible community topping 1,000. transmission. -March 27, 2020: Trump signs $2 trillion stimulus bill -Feb. 29, 2020: 1st death reported in United States President Donald Trump signs a $2 trillion The first COVID-19 death is reported in coronavirus relief bill into law. The law provides Washington state, after a man with no travel loans to small businesses and creates a lending history to China dies on Feb. 28 at Evergreen system for distressed companies. It also offers Health Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington. financial aid to hospitals on the frontlines of the Two deaths that occurred Feb. 26 at a nearby crisis. nursing home would later be recorded as the first COVID-19 deaths to occur in the United States. -April 2, 2020: Global cases hit 1 million More than 1 million people around the world have -March 13, 2020: Trump declares national emergency been diagnosed with COVID-19. Given testing President Donald Trump declares a U.S. national shortages, undiagnosed cases and suspicions about emergency, which he says will open up $50 billion governments obscuring the scope of their in federal funding to fight COVID-19. respective outbreaks, the actual number of people sickened is believed to be much higher. -March 15, 2020: CDC warns against large gatherings The CDC warns against holding or attending -April 9, 2020: Evidence that first COVID-19 cases in gatherings of more than 50 people, including NYC came from Europe conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting A new study finds evidence that the first COVID-19 events, and weddings for eight weeks, cases in New York City originated in Europe and recommending that individuals cancel or postpone occurred as early as February. Researchers traced those events to avoid spreading the virus and the origin of New York City's outbreak and found it introducing it into new communities. was primarily linked to untracked transmission between the U.S. and Europe, with limited -March 17, 2020: Coronavirus now present in all 50 evidence showing direct introductions from China states or other countries in Asia. West Virginia reports its first COVID-19 case, meaning the disease is present in all 50 states. -April 22, 2020: Two Californians died of Coronavirus weeks before previously known first U.S. death New autopsy results show two Californians died of Coronavirus in early and mid-February, which shifts the understanding of how early the virus was spreading in the U.S.
Isolated Together: Stories from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Host Segments Written and Performed by: Claire Hughes
Introduction (0:33-1:16) Written and Performed by: Claire Hughes
Bill, 55 years old, from AZ (1:29-5:31) Written by: Claire Hughes Performed by: Satchel Harp-Monseau
Sandy, 22 years old, from NY (5:34-8:10) Written and Performed by: Ruby Serafin
Florida Newscast (8:13-9:35) Written by: Claire Hughes Performed by: Hannah Wolfram and Satchel Harp-Monseau
Wilma, 86 years old, from GA (9:38-12:15) Written and Performed by: Hannah Wolfram
Lily, 16 years old, from OH (12:18-13:55) Written and Performed by: Jen Kearney
Ricky (a.k.a. Lil' Soapy ) Raps (13:58-15:21) Written and Performed by: Jordan Gagan
Phineas and Ferb COVID-19 Theme Song (15:23-16:26) Written by: Claire Hughes and Ruby Serafin Performed by: Claire Hughes
Amy, 33 years old, from CA (16:29-19:16) Written and Performed by: Julia Herrero
James, 17 years old, from Washington, D.C. (19:18-23:03) Written and Performed by: Satchel Harp-Monseau
Mary, 25 years old, from MA (23:05-27:55) Written and Performed by: Myla Haan
Dr. Jeremy Rose Speaks Out About Handling Coronavirus Patients (27:58-28:51) News Segment from: NBC News
Kyle, 38 years old, from PA (28:54-33:35) Written and Performed by: Jordan Gagan
Elyse, 42 years old, from NJ (33:38-36:45) Written and Performed by: Caroline Bormann
Dr. Anthony Fauci Addresses When We'll Return to Normal (36:47-37:53) Clip from: MSNBC News
Conclusion (37:57-38:37) Written and Performed by: Claire Hughes
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Additional Credits
Audio Editor: Jordan Gagan Program Designer: Myla Haan Program Contributors: Caroline Bormann, Julia Herrero, Jen Kearney, Ruby Serafin, and Hannah Wolfram Professor Extraordinaire: Dr. Meghan Brodie
For the long hours that the Theater Capstone Course put into making this important project a reality, to the Ursinus community at large for all of its support, and for all of the experiences that have been shared...
~Thank You~