‘Catalyst Sessions’ recap: Staci Sabarsky

Innovocative Theatre founder and artistic director Staci Sabarsky was Thursday’s guest on The Catalyst Sessions, talking about the company’s first foray into virtual production, a live-streamed take on Lauren Gunderson’s powerful one-woman drama Natural Shocks.

The play, in which a woman portrayed by Innovocative favorite Marie-Claude Tremblay is cowering in her basement as a tornado approaches, is packed with, well, shocks. Two live performances are planned – July 9 and 11.

According to Sabarsky, Gunderson’s tour-de-force is the perfect virtual show.

“It’s sort of a combination of a confessional, a live vlogger and Blair Witch,” she said. “Because the actress is not only going to be doing the one-woman show, she’s actually, literally going to be filming herself on her phone camera. It’s going to be very up-close, very personal, as if you’re right there with her talking to someone on Zoom, or on Facebook Live.”

Gunderson (I And You, Silent Sky, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley)  is one of America’s most-produced modern playwrights, and she eagerly agreed tol participate in a live talkback following the first performance, Thursday, July 2 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are required for Natural Shocks; all info is available here.

There’ll be no Catalyst Sessions today (Friday, July 3). Happy Independence Day weekend!

All episodes are archived on our YouTube page.