Read about “to The Zoom and Back” & its playwright

Cindi Sansone-Braff’s play, To the Zoom and Back, looks at a senior couple’s attempt to try to connect through online dating in the age of Covid.

Sansone-Braff is a member of the Dramatist Guild, has a B.F.A. in theatre from UCONN, and is a playwright, author, actor, dancer, producer, director, and the co-founder of Tomorrow’s Classic Theatre Company.

Here, we ask her about her play, herself, and her vision for theater post-Covid.

1. What inspired you to write this play?
After seeing a few Zoom plays, I thought it would be fun to try and write one. The expression “To the Zoom and Back,” popped into my head, and I thought it would be a great title for a Zoom play. As a relationship expert, I was hearing from my clients about their experiences with trying Zoom dates, and from there the play emerged.

2. What do your think the audience will take away from it, what will they be talking about after seeing it?
I would be thrilled if the audience were to talk about how much they like the characters, because they are genuinely nice people. The theme of loneliness and isolation is something many people can relate to, especially now, during the pandemic, and perhaps, they can see that it is possible to connect to people using today’s technology. Dating disasters, first dates, and online dating, are something people of all ages can relate to, and the audience might share some of their personal dating experiences with each other. Dating outside your type, being open to love at any age, and giving people a chance are some of the concepts I would love the audience to take away from this play.

3. How and when did you start writing plays?
Ever since I read “The Glass Menagerie,” in tenth grade, I have wanted to be a playwright. I have a BFA in theatre from UCONN and have been writing plays for 50 years now.

4. What do you expect from a post-Covid theater scene?
I believe Zoom plays and Zoom festivals are going to continue even after live theater opens up, because they are great ways to connect with people across the globe. Some of the plays done on Zoom will be staged live, and audiences will be hungry for the collective emotional experience that only live theater can provide. It will be the best of both worlds.

To read more about all the plays in our spring production, Pandemic Stories, click here.