The show is interactive at its core, from the lobby installations to the guide helping with the haptics gear and answering any audience questions to the climactic moment of the project. This climax takes place when the performers break the fourth wall and ask people who are comfortable being touched to put their hands out. The performers then make contact with each willing audience member individually, pouring care into every moment of connection. After this contact, it is impossible to leave the show feeling untouched—literally and emotionally. This brief but powerful connection filled a void I didn’t know existed within me. I was reminded of humans’ deep need for touch and relationship; our species’ animalistic impulse for community and how our current world is not set up to foster this; how novel and invigorating it can feel to return to these instincts, to embrace the need for each other in a moment; how feeling a true sense of care and a bond with strangers can change our perception of the world.
At every step, the show invites the audience to bring their whole self to the experience and to react authentically to the world around them, forging deeper connections.
Oftentimes, after the performance is over, the actors speak with the audience and ask them what the piece brought up for them. Audiences are encouraged to write how the piece made them feel on a sticky note and place it on the wall in the lobby. At every step, the show invites the audience to bring their whole self to the experience and to react authentically to the world around them, forging deeper connections.
Interestingly, the film portion of the project took place during COVID shutdowns. This is evident in the film’s themes, which include a greater longing for community and a sense of belonging. The live performance of the piece takes these ideas and runs with them. It feels like a direct reaction to life after these shutdowns—the need for human touch and connection that was not viable for a time. Not to mention how the pandemic shifted the focus of many Americans to the needs of the disabled people around us, while further disabling some infected by the virus. All audience members were required to wear a mask, a reminder of the lasting impact of COVID on disabled communities. The project explores the way technology can make us feel more connected, in contrast to the popular narrative that technology makes us feel more alone. In addition, the focus on queer community and the embracing of authentic selves is sorely needed in this political climate. At a time when LGBTQ rights are constantly under fire, UP UNTIL NOW: midair for some time celebrates the beauty in finding people who celebrate authentic expression and identity.
This show takes down barriers of inaccessibility to allow for all people to experience interactive theatre. I come from a place of privilege in regard to theatrical accessibility, so much of this was new to me and felt invigorating and exciting. The impact of the show is long lasting. After all, I saw it in the winter of 2024 and am still thinking about it. The other audience member who I experienced the production with also left impressed, with nothing but good things to say. This project tackles the difficult task of bringing the two-dimensional world of film into the three-dimensional world of theatre, combining the two to create a unique piece of live performance. The music, casting, set design, and haptics all create an environment that envelops the audience into the world of the film. Overall, this show is wildly effective in engaging audiences regardless of their backgrounds, identities, and abilities. It is radical work that uses the tools of inclusion to create a new mode of storytelling.
