Quarantine Q/A: BECCA BRYCE and BRYAN STEWART

Bryan Stewart and Becca Bryce

by Gil Benbrook

Our series of "Quarantine" interviews, which focus on individuals involved in the Phoenix theatre community and their reaction to Arizona's stay at home mandate and the recent protests to fight racial injustice, continues today with a conversation with Valley actors, and real life couple, Becca Bryce and Bryan Stewart.

The COVID-19 virus and the protests for racial equality in support of #blacklivesmatter  have affected us all in many ways. The theatre community has been harshly impacted with show closures and postponements. We hope this series of interviews will be a way to provide some personal insight into what people are doing during this period of time while highlighting familiar individuals from the theatre community in town.

Was there a show you were in or involved with or preparing for when the stay at home order started?

Becca: "I had just closed Seussical at Zao Theatre the weekend before everything started shutting down. Luckily that show had a great run with some wonderful audiences, and it left some really good memories for me. We were also a couple of weeks into rehearsals for Zao's Little Shop of Horrors, which was originally supposed to go up at the end of April. "

Bryan: "I had just had my first blocking rehearsal for Little Shop the Saturday before everything started getting crazy...it's such a shame. We were originally going to postpone the show until August, but now with everything going on it has been canceled, unfortunately. "

Becca: "I mean, I'm glad we weren't further into the process, at least. Very glad we weren't in the middle of a run, like some folks. We had had a bunch of music rehearsals, but really only a couple of blocking rehearsals, so I guess it's a relief that it wasn't weeks and weeks of work wasted, but it's still sad. "

How have you been personally impacted by our current situation?

Bryan: "My father passed away just a day or two before cities started shutting down, so we haven't been able to hold a memorial service for him yet. We do plan to do something special to honor him once we are able to. My mom has been stuck inside her assisted living facility under lockdown, so it's been tough not to really be able to visit her in the weeks following my dad's death. She's a fighter, though. I try to call her as often as I can, and check in to make sure she's doing ok. But it's just a constant reminder that the things that are already hard (ie dealing with grief, for one) are made even worse in the midst of pandemic."  

Becca: "Honestly, everything feels different. Obviously the current climate of our country is pretty rough. My hope is that everything that has happened in the past weeks and months will force us to come together, make some lasting changes, and just be better people. I try to remember to check in with my friends and loved ones, because you really never know how much people are hurting. Sometimes it's hard to know what to say or do to bring hope and light to those around you, but sometimes all we can do is listen and learn and be there for others. This has been a mentally trying few months, for sure. I find myself feeling ok some days, but it's also very easy to spiral downward when things are hard... I sincerely hope that we can all learn to be better, kinder and more compassionate.On a lighter note, COVID has also made it really easy to sit at home and eat ALL the candy...and I've definitely been doing that, too." 

Becca Bryce, Bryan Stewart and cast in
Godspell - Zao Theatre
photo by Keith Kagen

How has your daily routine changed?

Becca: "We have both been fortunate enough to continue working our day jobs (ironically, for the same company...we can't get enough of each other, apparently), so financially, that has been a big blessing, but with that comes a lot of day-to-day stress. I am the numbers lady at our company, so I get to stress over the economic impact of this virus too. I feel like we have been working extra hard to be proactive to protect our small business and our employees. While I know we are blessed to continue getting paychecks throughout this, it has been hard to see so many of my friends getting to really cherish that time at home with their families and kind of get to reset and refresh (first world problems, I know). When the prevailing message to the world has been "slow down and stay home", it has been hard to continue to 'go go go' as normal. Weekends have been mostly quiet though. It has been nice to have two entire days of nothing . And I get a lot of cleaning done."

Bryan: "She makes me do yard work."

Becca:  "... but I also get bored easily, so when I run out of things to clean I get restless, and I either get very grumpy or I end up baking something. "

Bryan: "Honestly not much in the day-to-day changed for us when the stay-at-home order was instituted. I get up and go to work like normal. We work for a company that does pool and landscape construction, so we were considered essential. Part of my job is pool maintenance, and if I let pools turn green, we get mosquitos and quite possibly a different virus, which I sure don't want. However, I'm loving the lack of traffic during the day because I'm able to get places a lot faster. "

What do you feel will be different when theater restarts?

Becca: "I think, like everything, it will be completely different in the beginning (maybe that's a good thing), and the "socially distant" atmosphere will feel somewhat foreign to us. I think it is a little scary navigating what's right and when, and how to do your very best to lessen the risk of spreading germs, while also still capturing the essence of what we all love about live theatre. I hope that even in the midst of all the changes that theatres will inevitably have to make to their facilities and their cleanliness standards, that we will be able to keep the joy that we get from both doing theatre and from watching it. In the midst of our current climate, my greatest hope is that we can all press forward with a stronger sense of unity, and that we become kinder and more unselfish as people. I think that if and when we are able to return to "normal" theatre, it will bring a much deeper sense of gratitude for this thing that we all love so much. "

Bryan: "All I can say is that it brought new meaning to my Little Shop character Doctor Orin Scrivello's line about trying to get the mask off of his face. Maybe someday I'll get to play that role again and have a laugh at that line. "

When do you think that’ll happen?

Bryan: "I think it will take some time for audiences to feel totally comfortable attending. It's a hard question to answer because nobody can predict when anything will be back to normal (when it comes to full houses and social distancing), or what that new normal will even be. Who knows when there will be butts in the seats?"

Becca: "I think that it will not all happen at once. I think each theatre will have to make their own choices about what's right and comfortable for them. I do have confidence that the theatres I work for care deeply about the safety of their actors, and will take care to take all precautions they can. I certainly think things will be different though, and that it will be a long time before you see a traditionally packed house. "

Bryan: "Butts in the seats."

Bryan Stewart and Becca Bryce in Oklahoma!
Hale Centre Theatre
photo by Sam Miller

What have you been doing to stay creative during this time?

Becca: "I finally cut Bryan's hair." 

Bryan: "She finally cut my hair."

Becca: "I actually cut my own hair too (I was on a roll with the scissors and honestly he needed it more than me!). That little change always helps me feel better. We did do one video performance, but as I'm not the best video editor (and we're both major perfectionists), it's harder than it looks. It definitely took SEVERAL takes to get a recording we were both happy with. "

Bryan: "This is why I miss live theatre so much. You get a new chance to sound good every night. "

Becca: "It has been really fun seeing virtual performances from both our local theatre friends, as well as Broadway performers we might never get to see in person. The creativity of some people is astounding, and it's really great to see. I have really enjoyed getting to watch people, because I don't always have time to attend as many shows as I'd like, so I have loved getting to watch talented people do their thing."

Bryan: "We also adopted a dog. I don't know if that's creative, but she certainly requires a lot of energy, so it's been nice having some time to be able to devote to getting her acclimated."

Any binge tv shows you’ve watched?

Becca: "We've started a lot and finished a few. We finally watched Parks and Rec, started The Good Place, The 4400, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Colony, Lost and a few others. Mostly Netflix stuff that's easy to watch that we never got around to watching when it first aired. "

Bryan: "Having Disney Plus has also been really bad for Becca..."

Becca: "With Disneyland being closed, I have to get my fix somehow!"

Becca Bryce and Adam Guinn in 
Disney's Beauty and the Beast - Zao Theatre
photo by Wade Moran

Any new hobbies you’ve taken on?

Bryan: "Not really. Again, it's been a lot of the same for me. Work takes up the majority of my time, and so I spent most of my weekends recovering from the week, and getting stuff done. "

Becca: "I don't know that I have developed any new hobbies, but I have been able to devote a little time to the ones I have. I love cooking and so it's been fun trying out some new recipes. I also really enjoy sewing, and while I have not made any more ball gowns (I spent six months of my life sewing Belle costumes, and that wore me out!) I have made a few masks just for fun. I also have enjoyed getting my house organized and slowly conquering some of the projects I have been putting off. It's also been nice to get back into the habit of taking a dog for long walks every day, and while it doesn't require quite the energy of a good tap number, it has helped keep me a little bit active, at least. "

Bryan Stewart in A Christmas Carol
Hale Centre Theatre
photo by Nick Woodward - Shaw 

How has this experience changed you?

Bryan: "It's crazy to think how so many normal things you take for granted (ie seeing family, going to rehearsal, even going to stores) can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you get blindsided by something, and it changes the entire country. Hopefully ultimately for the good. I think as time goes on, it will make me appreciate those little things far more. I will definitely be spending a lot more time visiting my mom once I am able. "

Becca: "To speak of COVID specifically, I have found myself wanting to constantly check in with all the people I love. Being alone isn't good for anyone, and I'm very grateful to have so many people in my life who have cared about how I'm doing. I also hope that it will make me stop taking little things for granted, because so much of can be ripped out from under you so quickly. I think everything our country has faced in the last couple of months has changed everyone's lives so drastically, and we will continue to change if and when the curve ever does flatten. Aside from dealing with this pandemic, I am at a loss reading about the horrific acts of racism that continue to occur in our country. It's caused me to do a lot of reflection -- I think we are all constantly evolving and my hope is that we as a people are able to bring about some lasting change in the wake of all this. I hope to be better--to be a listener and a helper and an ally in this fight. "

What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to now that Arizona and most states have lifted the stay at home order?

Becca: "I MISS DISNEYLAND!!! Truthfully though, I miss everyone (and Disneyland). I miss seeing my extended family and my friends, and I miss traveling. I really miss performing though, and I think that that first opening night back will mean so much more to me. "

Bryan: "And the first trip back to Disneyland."

Becca: "Yes, Disneyland. Have I mentioned Disneyland?"