Our Stages May Be Empty, But Our Hearts Are FULL.

Dear BAL Family,

We are thinking of you in this challenging and uncertain time. We hope you and your loved ones are all healthy and safe.

As you know, Brooklyn Acting Lab closed the doors to our physical space on March 13th, but with the support, belief, and hope of our team and you (the incredible BAL community) were able to transition to online programs on March 23rd.

Thank you for your love, encouragement and continued support. You, me, us… WE made this happen. We are deeply humbled by this collaborative action and your belief in Brooklyn Acting Lab.

Our Winter/Spring season classes are now all being offered virtually. We are continuing to connect, share, sing, dance and move our bodies, tell stories, laugh (and cry) together, and discover the JOY of making theater together in this new space.

We are hoping for the best, but should it prove necessary, we are exploring ways to ensure the students’ hard work and creativity can be enjoyed and appreciated by all, in the absence of our traditional showcase performance. We will keep you posted. Additionally, we will soon be offering supplemental programs for both adults and youth, designed exclusively for Zoom, so stay tuned!

No, it hasn’t been easy. We are grieving the loss of our normal lives and searching to make sense of this new normal. Wondering when we will be able to meet again in person and make a circle, hold hands, and play Boppity Bop Bop Bop or Zip Zap Zop. We will. And when we do, just imagine how special that will be.

Until then, we will continue making theater magic together in the best ways we can, and carry many of the unique lessons we are learning with us into our collective future.

Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite monologues. It is from the play The Diary of Anne Frank.

Look, Peter, the sky. (she looks up through the skylight) What a lovely, lovely day! Aren’t the clouds beautiful? You know what I do when it seems as if I couldn’t stand being cooped up for one more minute? I think myself out. I think myself on a walk in the park where I used to go with Pim. Where the jonquils and the crocus and the violets grow down the slopes. You know the most wonderful part about thinking yourself out? You can have it any way you like. You can have roses and violets and chrysanthemums all blooming at the same time. It’s funny. I used to take it all for granted. And now I’ve gone crazy about everything to do with nature. Haven’t you?

Sending love and peace your way.

Kristen & Murat