There is a stark difference between performing on a live-streamed Zoom call and in the Agassiz Theater. But undeterred by the circumstances, the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players are using the unusual setting to stage a return to semi-normalcy with a production of the one-act comic opera âCox and Box; or, The Long-Lost Brothers,â which ran April 29 to May 8.
While the embrace of an all-virtual setting allowed the group to perform safely during the remote semester, it also necessitated far-reaching changes. Typically, HRG&SP sticks to shows by both W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, a Victorian-era British duo who created 14 full-length comic operas together. However, after producing one of their typical operas proved infeasible during the previous semester, the group started looking for an alternative. âWe decided on âCox and Boxâ mostly because it's short, it's part of the canon, and it's fairly easy to do virtually because the scenes have so few people in them,â Ria Dhull â23, the groupâs president, said.