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• 1 media/IMG_5678.jpg 2020-12-08T11:23:30-08:00 Cassandra Sandberg Simmons 6 plain 2021-05-09T14:16:40-07:00 What parts of the industry are you involved in?

  Theatre arts and live music performance.
  
  Are you currently involved in any theatrical or artistic projects?
  
  I’m currently creating a series of workshops teaching Katonah Yoga theory and practice, aimed at helping people and artists use themselves better.  It looks at how to cultivate stability, fulfillment, and vision in an integrated and embodied practice. The work references archetypes, and derives insight from personal habits and physical awareness.  
  
  How has the COVID-19 epidemic personally affected your artistic opportunities?
  
  Like many actors, musicians, technicians and artists of all kinds, I had to sit in the stillness of an industry that was completely shut down. It forced introspection, an adjusted trajectory, and ultimately gave way to opportunities and insights I might not have otherwise explored. The pivot to digital communication was essential, and where it leaves a little something to be desired, there are some qualities of contact that have proved to be really substantive.    
  
  What do you think is in store for the industry? Will it be the same post-COVID?
  
  I don’t think any industry will return to an identical model of pre-COVID procedure, at least not for quite some time. Everything around live performance and live events will have to be approached with incredible creativity and ingenuity. It might look like site specific, or immersive works where people are able to move about a space at a distance or embracing more outdoor performance spaces.  I think accessibility will be an issue as ticket prices are forced to rise to accommodate fewer audience members per performance as we return to live events with space regulations. But no matter the changes, I know we will return. After this hiatus, I believe people will cherish coming together in a new way. Live performances of all kinds are a treasured art form, and we need those experiences and outlets now more than ever.  
  
  What words of advice or solidarity do you have for other artists in the theatre industry? 
  
  Life feels wild right now. There’s a dissonance ringing in the collective consciousness. Never has the future felt so unknown, especially through the lens of live performance and gathering groups of people. However, in a way, this year has just lifted the veil, showing us that no matter what comforts we come to find in this life, tomorrow is never any more certain than it appears from this vantage point. Prioritize your health, physical, mental and emotional. Cultivate personal rituals and practices that give you a sense of grounding and stability. Find people to collaborate with, make your own art, read plays, sing, and keep exercising your artistic muscles. Reconnect with your values and spend time purely in pursuit of joy, because at the end of the day, that’s really what matters.