Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1264355
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JUNE 2020 8 CULTURE BEFORE everything went seemingly back to normal, Teatru Malta thought to check in on some of Malta's dearest theatre icons. Having all joined the ''vulnerable'' club due to the pandemic, these house- hold names had their once busy lives turned upside down. Unable to meet their loved ones, go to the supermarket or take on new work, Teatru Malta wondered how they were holding up and what they were doing to keep themselves entertained. Recorder and photographer in tow, they drove around Malta and Gozo to vis- it them door to door and ask them how they'd been doing, two meters apart and equipped with face masks and copious amounts of sanitizer. Everyone kept themselves preoccupied doing different things, created new rou- tines and downloaded Skype or Zoom, but what was definitely uplifting to see es- pecially after having spent three months indoors ourselves was how positive they all were, even when faced with such se- clusion. The aim was to cheer them up, but they ended up cheering their visitors up. Teatru Malta looks forward to working with this lovely bunch very soon but for now, here are some of their inspiring re- flections on life during COVID-19. Karmen Azzopardi "I hope that the spirituality that I feel and the charity that I see taking place will help me emerge from this time of crisis as a better woman with altruistic qualities that will benefit me and others." Joe Quattromani "From this 'stop' I found an opportunity. I looked around me and worked on things that had been waiting for a long time. I even managed to finish writing the story of my life. I can safely say that for me this was a blessing in disguise." Mary Rose Mallia "I worked abroad for 16 years, in Ger- many, and now, this current situation is forcing me to have the natural break I've never had. I was almost going to get stuck in Milan when the airports closed because I was about to go there to sign a contract. I was saved just in time!" Jane Marshall "Albert had and still has a great chal- lenge to keep his complex work of the Arts Council and other duties going on online - endless telephone calls and countless virtual conferences. But at least he doesn't have to dress smartly for work and I therefore don't have to prepare his shirts every day!"' Albert Marshall "I'm drafting some theatre work… and I'm thinking a great deal about how I'm going to spend my life now that this ex- perience has forced me to face my inner thoughts and discuss what's really es- sential and what isn't. I feel like a novice priest on the eve of his entry into monas- tic life…" Mary Lou Coppini "I must admit that my initial need for a rest helped me to accept the situation and see it as a time for reflection that is, between trying to create interesting daily meals for my husband and myself! I have just finished putting together the ingredi- ents for what is around the sixtieth sup- per in succession!" Narcy Calamatta "I finished a screenplay in English on a patriotic subject. If it is ever made into a film the Lockdown would have served to make Malta proud in front of foreign- ers. Now I am writing stories for children and I intend to write stories for adults as well. Hooray for the Lockdown because I would never have found so much time to write, hooray for the phone and emails, hooray for the TV; Rai 5 and Classica I learned a lot of new things and I enjoyed a lot of culture. Life goes on." Michael Sciortino "Because of this pandemic I am finding time to go around the house to fix some things that were long overdue. Almost every day I communicate with family members using IT. My pleasure is giving some lessons to my grandchildren, Ben and Ethan, in Ireland because after all I was a teacher and this is a call I still feel." Michael Tabone "I cleaned up a room and found some boxes with theatre programmes and scripts of plays I've been in over the years. I am now arranging them one after the other according to date, from the first play I did for my MTADA course in 1979 to the most recent one at the Manoel Theater last November." Josette Ciappara "This weird time has been a blessing in many ways. I realise that when "cri- sis" strikes the mind is allowed to rest. Priorities change and the more I go with the flow the less stressed I feel. Yes I do miss the theatre, postponing projects, go- ing abroad, staying away from the Spero community, being away from my loved ones because of my "vulnerability", but when all is said and done I feel a lot hap- pier and healthier and eagerly awaiting "normality" to set in again knowing that "This too shall pass". Monica Attard "This pandemic is like nothing else we have ever experienced. I'm generally a positive person so I accept that for the time being we have to stay at home. I only go out to shop for food and perhaps for a short walk although I try to go on the treadmill often instead. I have discovered a love for baking during this time. I occu- py myself as much as possible. I also enjoy reading a lot and keeping in touch with friends." Trevor Zahra "This pandemic, which has kept us in- side as sure as winter does to lizards, I feel deprived of relatives, friends and the cultural activities that are so dear to my heart. But at the same time, it is giving me more time to read, research, dream and write. So much so that while we were locked up, I managed to write a new book from the series Il-Ġrajja Illustri ta' Kar- taksan." For more information on Teatru Mal- ta visit teatrumalta.org.mt or visit our Facebook page Teatru Malta visits some of Malta's best known artists during the COVID-19 pandemic