At the end of August, DSF’s Digital Internship Program will present an Online Theatre Festival featuring three exciting projects. One project will be a world premiere: Buried by Guinevere Govea — here is a post introducing the text:
Over the past few years, live streaming has become a popular source of entertainment. Anyone can start a live stream on a variety of platforms, from Facebook, to Twitch, to Youtube, and beyond, and anyone can join and watch. Additionally, people can livestream about just about anything, from video games, to life updates, to crazy adventures they go on.
“Buried,” an original work written by Guinevere Govea, is centered around two teenagers trying to gain fame through live streaming on the platform of Twitch. Riley and Rory, who also have a YouTube channel together, are trying to gain fame by streaming their search for hidden treasure rumored to be in the woods of North Carolina. The treasure hunt is accompanied by a poem of clues, inspired by the Forrest Fenn treasure hunt in the Rocky Mountains (click for link), but also the lore and mystery following the last person who went searching for the treasure, and was never heard from again. The two teenagers are streaming their hunt from different parts of the woods in order to be the most effective to find the treasure, while simultaneously dealing with a rise in popularity on their stream, their friendship, and their supernatural surroundings.
Govea, who is also an intern at Davis Shakespeare Festival this summer, was inspired by a multitude of things, such as the aforementioned Forrest Fenn treasure being recently found, the controversy surrounding YouTuber Logan Paul’s visit and filming of the Japanese suicide forest in 2018, and “a love for all things spooky.” Additionally, Govea wanted to “tell a story about fame, greed, and friendship, specifically through the lens of Gen Z protagonists.” In a show centered around the desire many people have for fame and fortune, she wanted to accurately depict teenagers, as well as the sacrifices they might be willing to make in order to achieve those goals. As for the supernatural element of the show, that stemmed from Govea’s own interest in scary stories, as well as the notion that due to the current situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic, she wanted to bring those types of stories back into the spotlight, since people “can’t go on too many adventures on their own.”
Nowadays, with live entertainment such as theatre and concerts shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, live streams are the closest experiences people can get to those live events, while still being safe and remaining in their homes. However, with many companies trying to adapt works for stage to an online format, there can be a feeling of disconnect that usually would not exist. What makes “Buried” unique is that it is a show centered around the idea of live streaming, and many elements of a typical live stream are incorporated into the play, such as live comments. Similarly, the show also asks the question of how far people will go for their fifteen minutes of fame, especially in the age of social media where it’s never been easier to gain fame so quickly.
Davis Shakespeare Festival and their team of interns are ecstatic to bring this world premiere to life over the next coming weeks!
by Emily Holzman
DSF Digital Internship Program Participant