"The feeling was very theatrical. There were moments when I would laugh and the performer would turn and look right at me and continue, it was rather breathtaking because I had a close up view. Other moments the performer was interacting with another audience member on a screen and I could see her whole body, reinforcing the theatrical experience. And as an introvert, I loved being able to show up in my Jammies,
with no driving, or much planning."
- Kristen Loree
Kristen Loree MFA NYU Tisch School of Arts, associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework (™), Master Teacher of the Lugering Expressive Actor, Certified Sound Healing Guide, Certified Shamanic Healing Practitioner
"I was asked by Vincent Kirby, to perform for the Front Row Theatre project during the pandemic. Not knowing what to expect exactly, I agreed because it was different, experimental and artsy. There's nothing like it. It was up close and personal. How do you describe a moment where you feel your heart center connecting with EACH person on multiple screens where all eyes are on you? For me it was an interactive moment I've often imagined having with television icons. The icons in this scenario however are the audience members. Performing in this way with interactive screens felt like a celebration of US... We were engaged with one another. Laughter, soft comments were heard like a response to a story Spoken in intimacy among a gathering of friends in a social event. As I SHARED my story, I could see and feel reactions in this round robin moment. This performance was our intimate space. I haven't ever had a performance moment like this and I would gladly experience an audience like this again." - Ramona King
RAMONA KING is a film/ television actor and solo stage performer. She is a griot, celebrating stories in the West African tradition of community gathers. She has performed at the African American Arts Center, Outpost Performance Space, The National Hispanic Cultural Center, and the White House, as well as at festivals, conferences, and schools nationwide. She is the former host of NPR affiliate KUNM’s Spoken Word Hour. For more information check out the following links. Actor: www.IMDb.me/RamonaKing
TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/_e38sfI9lEQ
"I was invited by Vincent to see a couple experimental QuaZi webcam performances. I didn't know what to expect, how experimental could a webcam show be? But this surprised me. I learned I wasn't going to be in a group zoom meeting, but a personal one on one zoom meeting, among others like me. In a different way, that felt like I was a part of an audience. I saw, close up, a performance almost as if it was just for me. It was definitely different, and I felt more connected to it. I'd seen other unique shows during the pandemic, all others considered, this was my favorite"- Paul Ford
Paul Ford is a retired member of the theatre faculty at the University of New Mexico and serves as the Artistic Director of Theatre-in-the-Making, which he founded, in1989. He frequently acts and directs on Albuquerque stages, He is a Albuquerque Bravo! Award winner for excellence in theatre education.