Live theater is one thing you simply can’t have during a pandemic that requires social distancing. But the theaters in New York are determined not to just stay out of sight and out of mind, as they come up with creative approaches to connect with their audiences and generate what revenue they can.
Several theaters have offered recorded versions of plays that would be accessible for free for a limited time on YouTube. You can see an introduction to one of these offerings with two versions of the Frankenstein play as recorded nearly a decade ago: Benedict Cumberbatch Introduces Frankenstein | National Theatre at Home.
Another way to keep the lights on at Broadway is by creating a mystery game that people can play at home. Here’s the introduction on YouTube.
The Bullets on Broadway package is priced at $29, though you can get it for just $20 with code TM20. You can see a free sample version of what you get with the complete kit that works for a virtually hosted game of 6-10 people here.
Monica Hammond, Founder of Broadway Murder Mysteries explained how she came to create it here:
“For the last seven years, I’ve written and hosted murder mystery parties and they’ve always been such a hit that I decided to make one for Broadway fans. And since no one’s throwing in-person parties anytime soon, I adapted the rules to be able to be played virtually by video chat. Having worked in the Broadway industry for the last 5 years I wanted to put my own spin on the classic murder mystery party and try to give as much work as possible to Broadway talent who are among some of the most impacted by this crisis.”
The game is perfect for a virtual get together and can also be used for in-person parties when you are able to throw one of those again. For now, it’s a way of bringing some theater magic home and keeping up your connection to performing arts.