Oral history interview of Adrian Young, conducted by Julie Burrie (transcript)

Adrian Young is a high school theatre student who has been involved in theatre for their entire middle school and high school experience. They talk about their experiences of how the pandemic has changed how the entire theatre department interacts and what things have affected them.

ADRIAN YOUNG Salt Lake City, UT An interview by Julie Burrie March 25, 2021 Utah COVID-19 Digital Collection Project J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Department University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 1 00:00:01.709 --> 00:00:02.190 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 2 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:05.220 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Here we go. 3 00:00:06.060 --> 00:00:07.740 Adrian Young: Oh, my gosh we have subtitles. 4 00:00:08.610 --> 00:00:10.170 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Yes, audio transcript. 5 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:12.690 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: That way, I don't have to transcribe it. 6 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:14.940 Adrian Young: That is so cool. 7 00:00:18.060 --> 00:00:21.600 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay um Google that's what I’m doing. 8 00:00:22.470 --> 00:00:23.940 Adrian Young: I didn't know that was a thing. 9 00:00:25.350 --> 00:00:25.680 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: yeah. 10 00:00:26.790 --> 00:00:28.950 Adrian Young: and now I’m just watching all the words. 11 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:33.150 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um. 12 00:00:36.930 --> 00:00:37.320 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 13 00:00:55.980 --> 00:00:56.280 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: uh, I hate my bangs, my bangs are looking stupid. 14 00:00:58.860 --> 00:00:59.250 Adrian Young: probably going to trend. 15 00:01:02.220 --> 00:01:04.350 Adrian Young: I’ve got my little tuft over here. 16 00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:12.540 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: yeah my bangs don't want to be anything except this one, this one likes to be currly at the top and then not anywhere else. 17 00:01:18.750 --> 00:01:22.830 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: There is just this one part right here this like imma be like whoo. 18 00:01:25.890 --> 00:01:26.250 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 19 00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:28.710 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: ready. 20 00:01:31.380 --> 00:01:31.710 Adrian Young: yeah. 21 00:01:36.600 --> 00:01:37.140 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 22 00:01:42.510 --> 00:01:46.470 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: So pretend that I haven't asked you any of these questions before. 23 00:01:46.980 --> 00:01:49.650 Adrian Young: Brand new, new slate you've never asked me these before. 24 00:01:58.770 --> 00:01:59.820 Adrian Young: This is not take two. 25 00:02:00.960 --> 00:02:01.740 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Not at all. 26 00:02:03.660 --> 00:02:04.170 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 27 00:02:13.230 --> 00:02:15.060 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: This is awkward, no matter what time it is. 28 00:02:16.470 --> 00:02:17.310 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Time one or time two. 29 00:02:18.630 --> 00:02:21.840 Adrian Young: yeah it's, it's even worse now that we're on zoom. 30 00:02:23.160 --> 00:02:23.580 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: yeah. But oh well 31 00:02:29.340 --> 00:02:29.850 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 32 00:02:34.260 --> 00:02:49.200 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: This is Julie Burrie interviewing Adrian young on march 26 2021 for the Marriott libraries covid 19 project. 33 00:02:51.390 --> 00:02:56.100 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: So Adrian describe what performing was like before the pandemic. 34 00:02:57.330 --> 00:03:03.630 Adrian Young: um performing before the pandemic was a lot different than it is now. 35 00:03:04.980 --> 00:03:26.070 Adrian Young: It is long hours staying after school sometimes missing other classes um putting hours of work into a piece over the weekend after school like I said um and just being in close proximity with your cast constantly changing clothes really just. 36 00:03:27.180 --> 00:03:28.740 Adrian Young: bonding in person. 37 00:03:37.110 --> 00:03:41.250 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: What are some obvious changes from pre covid to during covid. 38 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:43.440 Adrian Young: um. 39 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:52.560 Adrian Young: Being in person and being able to touch you to each other, I mean that sounds lot weirder than it is, but um. 40 00:03:54.600 --> 00:03:58.710 Adrian Young: theater kids tend to be very hands that still sounds bad. 41 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:01.650 Adrian Young: tend to. 42 00:04:02.700 --> 00:04:06.870 Adrian Young: Be in physical contact with each other, a lot um. 43 00:04:08.070 --> 00:04:22.050 Adrian Young: Even just acting a lot of us are directed to be in physical contact a lot, and that is been unable to happen in the pandemic or now we're all virtual and distanced. 44 00:04:24.870 --> 00:04:29.730 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: What was the most difficult alteration you had to do with covid. 45 00:04:31.260 --> 00:04:31.680 Adrian Young: uh. 46 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:36.000 Adrian Young: Excuse me being virtual. 47 00:04:37.230 --> 00:04:42.390 Adrian Young: which it wasn't just like just being on zoom and not being able to interact with people it's. 48 00:04:44.130 --> 00:04:45.720 Adrian Young: Acting by yourself. 49 00:04:47.010 --> 00:05:03.360 Adrian Young: And then, trying to hope that your video matches somebody else's video of their acting in response to yours um so instead of getting that natural feedback that we used to get where we would play off each other we're trying to guess what the other one would do. 50 00:05:06.990 --> 00:05:13.530 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Has I guess you kind of answered this but Has anything been moved online that normally is in person. 51 00:05:13.860 --> 00:05:21.150 Adrian Young: Yes, everything has been moved online even our classes, we all separate into different rooms, even if we're in person and we get on the zoom call. 52 00:05:24.900 --> 00:05:33.180 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: In what ways have leaders and participants obeyed or disobey the CDC and WHO oh safety guidelines. 53 00:05:34.200 --> 00:05:47.430 Adrian Young: um so obeying not being allowed to touch each other being on zoom calls all the time, if we are in person, we are, we are completely distance from each other, or we are outside. 54 00:05:48.090 --> 00:05:56.250 Adrian Young: Making sure that we're not with each other, or if we do have to eventually make physical contact with one another, we make sure that it's just that person. 55 00:05:57.750 --> 00:05:59.700 Adrian Young: To try and keep spreading limited. 56 00:06:02.490 --> 00:06:09.030 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Have any of the safety guidelines had a negative impact on performance and practices. 57 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:22.080 Adrian Young: Yes, everything is done a lot slower, because we need to film and Edit everything together and because we're guessing what the other one's going to do we have to make sure to make several recordings. 58 00:06:22.740 --> 00:06:31.590 Adrian Young: and doing those recordings it's not just with normal backdrop, we set up green screens in our homes, we, or we go in with a green screen. 59 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:40.860 Adrian Young: And then we record on different devices, we have to make sure that the sound quality is good um doing things that as a stage actors have never done before. 60 00:06:42.840 --> 00:06:47.040 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Are there any positive impacts that the pandemic has had. 61 00:06:48.060 --> 00:06:50.460 Adrian Young: uh yeah versatility. 62 00:06:52.620 --> 00:06:58.740 Adrian Young: We now know how to do all these things, and as sucky as it is in the moment, if this were to ever happen again. 63 00:07:00.390 --> 00:07:03.480 Adrian Young: it's very plausible that we could just get through it easily. 64 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:12.870 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um what are your views and or opinions about the pandemic and the rules in place because of it. 65 00:07:14.220 --> 00:07:14.970 Adrian Young: um well. 66 00:07:16.410 --> 00:07:19.380 Adrian Young: My personal view on the pandemic is that it sucks. 67 00:07:20.670 --> 00:07:23.340 Adrian Young: All of this all of it sucks the restrictions. 68 00:07:25.260 --> 00:07:36.420 Adrian Young: I hate them, they're in place for a reason and I respect them being there, and personally I think that we went back too soon we lifted a lot of restrictions too early. 69 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:46.140 Adrian Young: quarantine should have been longer and as sucky as it was as horrible as it was just being stuck at home, not being able to go out. 70 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:54.330 Adrian Young: worrying about contact, washing everything over and over again, as to now where we're kind of just like eh. 71 00:07:56.010 --> 00:08:04.950 Adrian Young: Being super careful like that is really kind of what helped and I think people are just too eager to get back. 72 00:08:10.860 --> 00:08:17.610 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: This question kind of this next question I guess needs to be rewarded because of how. 73 00:08:20.520 --> 00:08:30.420 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: It says, if the vaccine for covid is accessible, would you want to have it, I guess kind of now just shift it to are you wanting to have the. 74 00:08:31.410 --> 00:08:32.340 vaccine. 75 00:08:33.510 --> 00:08:38.250 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Because I know, like in certain places, you have to qualify for certain things. 76 00:08:38.340 --> 00:08:38.670 Adrian Young: mm hmm. 77 00:08:40.230 --> 00:08:46.350 Adrian Young: yeah in in our State currently um it'll be for 16 and up, as you know. 78 00:08:47.580 --> 00:08:53.010 Adrian Young: As since you've gotten your first shot um I am getting my first shot on. 79 00:08:54.330 --> 00:08:58.650 Adrian Young: Thursday, not, some Thursday. 80 00:09:00.570 --> 00:09:06.600 Adrian Young: And so I’m really looking forward to that to start having the vaccine, so that we can really. 81 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:13.080 Adrian Young: Try to end this faster and get group herd immunity going. 82 00:09:13.860 --> 00:09:14.280 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: mm hmm. 83 00:09:16.170 --> 00:09:20.790 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um Have you had to be tested for covered for any of the events. 84 00:09:22.020 --> 00:09:26.760 Adrian Young: um well, not for any of the events specifically. 85 00:09:28.950 --> 00:09:40.260 Adrian Young: My high school did shut down once but they had a bunch of kids tested So anyone who wanted you tested could come in and get tested um. 86 00:09:41.490 --> 00:09:53.610 Adrian Young: That was the first time, but the second time in order to stay open we all in order to stay in school, we all had to get a covid test so other than the general of just staying in school, no. 87 00:09:57.090 --> 00:10:01.020 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: If there was someone who had never experienced anything similar to covid 19. 88 00:10:02.610 --> 00:10:04.410 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: How would you explain it to them. 89 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:14.910 Adrian Young: ooh, um, it's like. 90 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:18.450 Adrian Young: it's like you're on a boat. 91 00:10:20.400 --> 00:10:27.420 Adrian Young: And you kind of get stranded in the middle of nowhere, but like you have food, but it's not necessarily food that you always want to eat. 92 00:10:28.050 --> 00:10:34.230 Adrian Young: And you're stuck with a bunch of people that you don't necessarily always get along with, but like you get along with okay. 93 00:10:34.500 --> 00:10:41.340 Adrian Young: But then there's also a couple of idiots that keep trying to swim to shore, even though it's 50 miles away and they’ll likely drown. 94 00:10:41.730 --> 00:10:51.930 Adrian Young: And some of them do drown but some of other people are like they didn’t drown what are you talking about that hasn't been proven, yet, but they are clearly floating in the water dead. 95 00:10:53.400 --> 00:10:58.170 Adrian Young: And so you're just waiting for the coast guard to come in to rescue you. 96 00:10:59.580 --> 00:11:03.960 Adrian Young: But somehow you row back to shore, but then you get carried back out. 97 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:09.300 Adrian Young: That was a dumb analogy, but that's kind of what it is. 98 00:11:09.810 --> 00:11:11.400 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: That was an interesting analogy. 99 00:11:12.390 --> 00:11:14.160 Adrian Young: I’m thinking about boats apparently. 100 00:11:16.140 --> 00:11:22.500 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: How have your performances and rehearsals changed with having to be socially distanced and wearing a mask. 101 00:11:24.540 --> 00:11:40.770 Adrian Young: So, most of our rehearsals and performances are on zoom so we don't necessarily have to wear a mask if we're in person in the classroom than we do, but even if we're on zoom together in the classroom we're all muted, except for the one person who's talking. 102 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:54.330 Adrian Young: that's the same for when we're off camera as well, or when we're all not at school and we're all doing zoom we're all muted, except for the one person who's talking like the director, the music director of the choreographer. 103 00:11:55.860 --> 00:11:57.720 Adrian Young: who's giving a special instructions. 104 00:12:02.160 --> 00:12:05.820 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Were any live performances cancelled due to the pandemic. 105 00:12:06.180 --> 00:12:06.840 Yes. 106 00:12:07.890 --> 00:12:11.490 Adrian Young: There were several performances that were cancelled i'm. 107 00:12:12.540 --> 00:12:27.450 Adrian Young: region drama camp for individual event events last year and then state for individual events and for one acts was all cancelled, and then we had a student directed musical that was supposed to go up that was also canceled. 108 00:12:31.920 --> 00:12:36.120 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um do you think there will be any future live performances. 109 00:12:36.900 --> 00:12:37.380 Yes. 110 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:52.650 Adrian Young: uh, they may not happen for a while, or they may not happen until everyone is vaccinated for maybe the cast just strictly quarantines with themselves but yes, there will be future in live performances. 111 00:12:54.750 --> 00:12:58.200 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: How has the acting changed become because of covid. 112 00:13:03.510 --> 00:13:10.920 Adrian Young: it's become more about facial expressions and body expressions, because when you're far away on a stage or even like 20 feet away. 113 00:13:11.520 --> 00:13:17.340 Adrian Young: it's not and the lights really drawn you out it's not necessarily about this it's about what the body and then it's about your tone. 114 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:29.100 Adrian Young: But when you're on camera it becomes all about your face, whereas like you're from the chest up, it becomes about your face and your tone, but less show about your body. 115 00:13:32.910 --> 00:13:40.050 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um, what do you think has been the best change in how you perform and rehearse during the pandemic. 116 00:13:41.880 --> 00:13:50.070 Adrian Young: we're all given a lot more time on because usually it's go go go and it's crunching and everyone gets really stressed about it. 117 00:13:51.150 --> 00:14:00.840 Adrian Young: But now it's really like if you're not prepared, there are other videos that you can go and watch to make sure that you know what you're doing, and then you have several takes to get it perfect. 118 00:14:04.410 --> 00:14:05.580 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: What change. 119 00:14:07.470 --> 00:14:13.320 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: What change, do you think has caused the most difficulty during practices and performances. 120 00:14:15.450 --> 00:14:25.860 Adrian Young: doing it on zoom and recording because a lot of people sometimes can't join a lot of people sometimes don't join, for whatever reason, and we can't really get a hold of them Internet goes down. 121 00:14:26.280 --> 00:14:33.120 Adrian Young: or it's just slow and we all and then there's that your delay between people, where one person is muted. 122 00:14:33.660 --> 00:14:44.160 Adrian Young: Or, and then one person isn't and they're talking and then they mute and then it takes a couple seconds for the other person to hear it unmute and then go, whereas lines normally would be right, on top of each other. 123 00:14:47.190 --> 00:14:51.720 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: What is the one thing that you normally do the most but can't do because of the. 124 00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:52.590 pandemic. 125 00:14:54.030 --> 00:14:58.320 Adrian Young: A joking around and messing with a bunch of stuff. 126 00:14:59.430 --> 00:15:03.060 Adrian Young: some of the most fun things backstage are. 127 00:15:05.160 --> 00:15:10.290 Adrian Young: Just messing with each other, playing jokes on each other or. 128 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:24.750 Adrian Young: messing with the props running around the stage crew really just kind of having fun with each other, whereas on zoom it's serious business business business members business and. 129 00:15:26.340 --> 00:15:32.250 Adrian Young: To make sure that we're all getting it right and that we all can go home and not have to sit on a phone call for hours. 130 00:15:35.190 --> 00:15:39.600 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: What has shifted and how you and other actors perform or rehearse. 131 00:15:41.970 --> 00:15:44.100 Adrian Young: um I feel like i've answered that before. 132 00:15:47.790 --> 00:15:48.750 Adrian Young: it’s um. 133 00:15:50.250 --> 00:16:07.740 Adrian Young: Having more breaks than we originally did a being the the the delay between lines, just because of how the Internet works um some people not having cameras some people not having like mic outputs i'm. 134 00:16:09.570 --> 00:16:17.250 Adrian Young: really just trying to figure out what we all need a technology wise and trying to keep all that together to try and make the performance consistent all the way across. 135 00:16:20.220 --> 00:16:25.920 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Do you think, having the vaccine or covid tests would allow performances live. 136 00:16:26.460 --> 00:16:26.940 Yes. 137 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:35.190 Adrian Young: Because that whole herd immunity concept, which is why we have vaccines in the first place um really would. 138 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:46.320 Adrian Young: Sorry, I just got a notification from my drama Council Oddly enough. 139 00:16:50.760 --> 00:16:51.510 Adrian Young: Sorry. 140 00:16:52.740 --> 00:16:53.850 Adrian Young: Can you ask me the question again. 141 00:16:55.170 --> 00:17:00.150 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Do you think, having the vaccine or covid test what allow live performances. 142 00:17:00.870 --> 00:17:14.400 Adrian Young: Yes, because of that whole herd immunity thing, which is why we have vaccines and why they are so powerful um if we really could get everyone to be vaccinated. 143 00:17:15.600 --> 00:17:27.720 Adrian Young: That would really help boost that and allow us to be in person doing just covid tests wouldn't necessarily because we could have been doing that, from the beginning but we're not. 144 00:17:30.060 --> 00:17:37.110 Adrian Young: And even if we do have covid tests and only those who are tested negative go into the event code still spreads. 145 00:17:38.340 --> 00:17:43.020 Adrian Young: So just with the covid tests no with the vaccine yes. 146 00:17:44.430 --> 00:17:52.590 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Do you think, as the vaccine is becoming more accessible to people and distributed more do you think they would make that a rule. 147 00:17:55.410 --> 00:18:06.240 Adrian Young: I think it is highly likely I doubt that it would be a role, though, because of Americans belief in you can't tell me what to do, because um of America’s belief of I’m my own person. 148 00:18:07.320 --> 00:18:18.450 Adrian Young: it's either against my religion or my ideology or something else for a reason why they don't want it, so I doubt that it could ever be a requirement, but I believe that would be heavily enforced. 149 00:18:19.650 --> 00:18:20.730 Adrian Young: or suggested. 150 00:18:22.950 --> 00:18:29.850 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Is there anything you have learned throughout the pandemic, if so, will you use this knowledge in the future. 151 00:18:32.190 --> 00:18:32.790 Adrian Young: Yes. 152 00:18:34.170 --> 00:18:37.590 Adrian Young: I know how to operate the zoom better and discord. 153 00:18:38.670 --> 00:18:47.760 Adrian Young: um now better keeping in touch with all of my contacts, whereas before I just kind of showed up and then I would learn things. 154 00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:54.210 Adrian Young: Now I have to keep on top of it so it's really teaching me time management and. 155 00:18:55.260 --> 00:19:01.680 Adrian Young: How, you know who you can trust to be in bigger roles, because those who you can. 156 00:19:02.850 --> 00:19:09.480 Adrian Young: On top of it versus like pushing it to the last second where we can't really edit anything and we just kind of have to plop it in there. 157 00:19:10.650 --> 00:19:11.220 Adrian Young: um. 158 00:19:13.740 --> 00:19:14.010 Adrian Young: yeah. 159 00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:23.310 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Is there anything you want to say, but about on your experience with covid in the pandemic. 160 00:19:26.070 --> 00:19:27.090 Adrian Young: not really no. 161 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:29.220 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: Okay. 162 00:19:30.570 --> 00:19:33.780 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um well I guess that's the end. 163 00:19:34.860 --> 00:19:35.280 sweet. 164 00:19:36.870 --> 00:19:38.040 Adrian Young: is it gonna work this time. 165 00:19:38.850 --> 00:19:41.100 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um I hope so. 166 00:19:44.670 --> 00:19:46.050 Adrian Young: What was the problem, the first time. 167 00:19:47.730 --> 00:19:48.330 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: um. 168 00:19:50.250 --> 00:19:50.730 JULIE RENEE BURRIE: It.