"The experiment that Open Circle and The Grieving Project’s team propose for audience experience provided me, for the first time in watching a virtual play, with the certainty of being present in the room where the performance took place. I wasn’t isolated, alone in my living room – I was there, in the theater. I could speak. I could hear other people. I could laugh and react – I could even dance if I wanted to! I was witnessed as I was witness, which is such a big part of what attending live events is about. I had a responsibility to the show – my participation as audience (in reacting, connecting – or not connecting) would be felt, and that heightened my ability to enjoy the artistic offering on stage. There are many ways in which we can think about increasing accessibility to live performances, and there is not going to be any one size fits all. This pilot is building a pathway towards breaching distances and building authentic hybrid models, that are not just about bringing the audience into the space, but in this case, bringing the creatives into the physical space too. I am excited to see how this model evolves, and I am very grateful to have taken part in this experiment!"