The Wasteland Theatre Company is an imaginative theatrical group working on classic performances within the video game medium. The group predominantly features works by playwright William Shakespeare, while also embracing the masterpieces of other renowned authors like Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll. Leveraging the support of community streamers, the Wasteland Theatre Company captivates audiences by presenting their live performances on Twitch, utilizing meticulously crafted theaters integrated within the landscape of Fallout 76.Artistic director and founder of the Wasteland Theatre company Northern Harvest recently spoke with Game ZXC about the group's various productions and how they approach them. Specifically, Harvest explained how the group chooses their plays and how those plays are reimagined in the post-apocalyptic setting of Fallout 76.
Choosing Plays and Adapting Them to Fallout's World
From their December 2022 performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to their upcoming 2023 production of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, The Wasteland Theatre Company notably performs a wide range of theatrical content. When it comes to selecting the plays they perform, the group focuses on classic productions that are at least a century old. They choose these plays based on the timeline in the Fallout universe, which diverges from the real-world timeline in the 1950s. Additionally, these older plays are now in the public domain, allowing the group to perform them without copyright restrictions. Recent performances are chosen based on thematic relevance or inspiration from in-game elements. For example, their production of Romeo & Juliet incorporated the in-game factions of Raiders and Settlers, replacing the Montagues and Capulets.
Alice in the Wasteland
One of the Wasteland Theatre Company's notable performances was an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland titled Alice in the Wasteland. They used the 1915 adaptation by Alice Gerstenberg as a base but added Fallout-themed changes to the characters and storyline. In their adaptation, Alice is a vault-dweller seeking revenge for her Overseer's death, encountering Fallout-inspired versions of the iconic Wonderland characters. For example, the Cheshire Cat is now Mr. Fuzzy, the Mad Hatter is a chem junky, and the King and Queen of Hearts are the leaders of a Nuka Cola Raider gang. The creativity and dedication of the actors brought this unique story to life within the Fallout 76 world.
“We used the Gerstenberg adaptation as our base because it was a mix of both stories, and we didn’t want to replicate the well-known Disney version. We kept most of the script the original Dickens text, applying Fallout -changes to the characters and story. What really made our story come to life was the hard work and brilliance of our actors who really put themselves into their weird, wonderful, and chaotic roles.”
Actors and Crews Staffed by Fallout 76 Players From All Walks of Life
The Wasteland Theatre Company takes pride in its talented ensemble of actors and dedicated crew, all of whom are drawn from the passionate Fallout 76 community. The company welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience. Among their ranks, they have actors with theater degrees, teachers, voice actors, and even those simply eager to explore the world of Shakespeare in a digital performance space. Harvest stated the group tries to create an inclusive environment, where discrimination based on experience is non-existent. Their aim is to create a safe, accessible, and enjoyable space for anyone interested in exploring the performing arts.
“Our people come from a wide range of experience levels: some have degrees in theatre, some are teachers, some are voice actors, and others are simply here to try their hand at Shakespeare in a digital performance space. We do not discriminate based on experience because we want to offer a safe, accessible, and fun space for anyone to explore the performance arts, and who knows – maybe they will venture into their own communities and try acting, or simply enjoying a show, in the real world.”
Fallout 76 Technical Elements and the Wasteland Theatre Company
Harvest went into detail about the technical aspects that make each production unique and successful. He explained that each performance is conducted on “player-built stages using in-game assets.” Harvest further explained that each stage is specifically built by community members for each performance using whatever objects are available to “emphasize the actors and the story they are telling.”
Performing live theater within a video game presents its own set of technical challenges. The Wasteland Theatre Company has had to overcome these obstacles to ensure smooth and engaging performances. One of the major challenges the group faces is the lack of facial expressions and limited character movement. Harvest stated that Director Jonathan Thomas uses his background in stage-management experience to set up lighting and stage blocking, which helps to denote which character is speaking. Harvest explained they also use various in-game movements such as emotes to “further draw our audience’s eye.” The group has also had to deal with the challenge of griefers invading their performances and wreaking havoc on their sets and characters.
“We have had our dress rehearsals nuked by griefers and have had Super Mutants, irradiated giant scorpions, and even a friendly mutated beaver interrupt our shows. We usually have a security guard assigned to deal with any non-player dangers to our shows, and we respectfully ask our cast, crew, and audience not to take out their own weapons during the performance. Again, this is the Wasteland.”
The Future of Fallout 76's Wasteland Theatre Company
The Wasteland Theatre Company continues to grow and evolve within the Fallout 76 community. They are constantly exploring new ways to push the boundaries of virtual theater and engage their audience. Future plans include expanding their repertoire to include plays from other notable playwrights, experimenting with interactive elements that involve the audience, and collaborating with other theater groups within the game.
"We keep learning from each of our shows, so we will continue to refine our craft, bring in new people, and have fun. Hopefully, in the end, we can leave a bit of a legacy within gaming as well as within the Shakespeare world. Most importantly, this journey has reintroduced a passion for theatre for most of us, and rekindled a love for the timeless works of Shakespeare. That makes it all worthwhile.”
Fallout 76 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.