The 2nd Act Players’ 2021 online production of Cathrine Goldstein’s What Good Did We See Today was named Best Streaming Play for the Chicago region by BroadwayWorld.com.
Congratulations to Goldstein and to cast members Brandy Miller and Manny Schenk, both veterans of other 2nd Act Players productions. 2nd Act Players’ Cofounder John N. Frank directed the play.
“Cathrine’s play was so moving and so poignant. We knew it was very special all during our online rehearsal weeks leading up to its presentation to our audiences,” says Frank.
The play deals with a daughter trying to care for a father slipping away mentally to Alzheimer’s disease as the Covid Pandemic sweeps the country.
The 2nd Act Players received an unprecedented 13 nominations in this year’s BroadwayWorld.com Chicago regional awards.
“In a year when our theater experienced so much adversity and trauma, it’s good to know we still were able to produce outstanding work,” says Frank. “We asked our actors to do more online than merely face a Zoom camera and they came through brilliantly.”
What Good Did We See Today was streamed April 23-May 2, 2021, part of the 2nd Act Players’ online production dubbed Pandemic Stories.
The seven 10-minute plays selected for Pandemic Stories were winners of the 2nd Act Players spring new script competition. More than 200 entries were received for that competition.
Actors in all seven plays performed in front of green screens in their homes. Background photos were added and they were “moved” into the same spaces through the use of video editing.
While BroadwayWorld.com only published the names of winners in each category, as voting drew to a close Dec. 31, Lunch Lady, another Pandemic Story by Donna Latham, was second in voting to What Good Did We See Today. Also, 2nd Act actors Val Gorman and Matt Schufreider were tied for second in the Best Actor in a Streaming Play category.
The 2nd Act Players suspended operations in late 2021 when it became apparent Covid would prevent it from returning to in-person performances.
“As we sit in Covid limbo, it’s nice to know something we did in 2021 was noticed and, hopefully, made a difference in people’s lives,” says Frank.