Michael Arden Has Created the First Drive-Through, Socially Distanced Theater Piece!

Tony Award nominated director Michael Arden has created the first-ever immersive, drive-through, and socially-distanced theater piece!

While Broadway is shut down due to the pandemic, Michael gathered lots of his talented friends to join The Forest of Arden Company and they created the theater piece American Dream Study.

The new show, which will be performed in New York’s Hudson River Valley, is a collaboration with a group of actors, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, stage managers, designers, choreographers, and medical professionals. This site-specific theatrical experiment will provide a first-of-its-kind socially-distanced communal experience for the age of COVID-19.

The company-devised piece will be staged throughout the Columbia County towns of Philmont, Claverack, and Harlemville, with audience members receiving instructions on when and where to drive, park and walk via several smart technologies.

“I constantly endeavor to create new opportunities for people to come together in a common space and share experiences. In this new era, that has taken a great deal of imagination and, most importantly, bold collaboration with this remarkable group of artists,” Michael said in a statement. “It has been said that art should be dangerous, but it’s also vitally important that we make it safe. This exploration of our dreams and the American Dream strikes that balance perfectly. We will be testing new methods of theater-making in order to forge a way forward for this ancient and vital art form.”

Among the members of the Forest of Arden Company are Michael‘s husband Andy Mientus, Tony winner Nikki M. James, Krysta Rodriguez, Nick Adams, Kyle Brown, Claybourne Elder, and more.

The theater piece will be performed for an invite-only audience next week!