Helianthus was conceived to be a versatile performance vehicle, ready to be digitally performed and eventually ready to transition to an easily socially distanced in-person performance.

Potential possibilities we’ve envisioned so far are as follows:

Digital:

The cast would record their material from the safety of their individual homes or responsibly distanced visits to a studio (as dictated by design team). Pre-recorded musical tracks would be utilized. Video/audio recordings would be edited together into a full and finished project.

Cast Size. Size of the cast is flexible.

• Alice and Lois, plus a small number of actors (min 3) to voice the cartoons.

• Alice and Lois are live action while the cartoons are animated.

• A fully animated version, with the voice work recorded safely at home or in studio.

• A recorded FaceTime call between the performers playing Alice and Lois. The cartoon pieces are pre-recorded and screen-shared. Animation possible here as well.

Live:

When it is a safe and viable option, Inside can transition into a live performance space in a number of responsibly distanced ways.

Cast Size and Distance Possibilities. How to keep everyone safe.

• A two person cast consisting of live actors playing Alice and Lois, with the cartoons as prerecorded material that has been incorporated into the production design. The cartoons could be fully animated or could involve footage of actors voicing them. Since throughout the story Alice and Lois only communicate over the phone, contact between them would not be necessary onstage.

• A small cast which would include two actors to play Alice and Lois as well as a small, flexible number of actors, each double or triple cast, to portray the cartoons. Most numbers are either a solo or duet. Nothing would require actors to compromise safe distance on stage, so contact could be very limited.

• A larger cast including two actors for Alice and Lois plus individual actors for each cartoon. Production design could include an element in which the cartoon portion of the set would only be occupied by one soloist at a time.

• Eventually and ideally, there could be a larger cast version in which the cartoons can interact with Alice, Lois, and each other and act as a Greek chorus. This can be produced as a traditional stage musical.