In case you were wondering what A-list actors were up to sequestered in the time of COVID-19, Bob Balaban works hard as ever from his home in Sagaponack, developing content for when “the gates are lifted,” and looking to help the community. With an idea for supporting Guild Hall, he got Alec Baldwin who got Julianne Moore, the result: a benefit staged reading of Bernard Slade’s two-hander, Same Time, Next Year opening on July 12 on Zoom.

Said Josh Gladstone, GH artistic director, confronting the challenge of keeping its virtual doors open, “this is our third Zoomed show. “Balaban brought the idea to us.” Alec Baldwin supports so many cultural projects out east, and Julie wants to, but usually has scheduling difficulties; now she is out in Montauk, and everyone is free.

“Moore was able to give us an afternoon, set us up in her pool house laundry room. Alec set up in his master bedroom suite. That’s where he could close the door on 4 kids under the age of 6 running around, and Hilaria is pregnant. With Zoom virtual backgrounds, we are ready for public airings on the 12^th. Our Tennessee Williams show was live; Bob wanted to do post-production on Zoom, with music, video graphics—we are all learning how to do this together. Bob directed from Sagaponack for the benefit on the 12^th, and will stream after. Audiences are buying tickets from Europe.”

On selecting this show, Balaban who is busy with many projects including developing a series with Mark Wahlberg’s production company, added, “It’s a 1976 comedy with real intelligence, with references that don’t ground it in any specific period. The hardest part was getting dates: when could we get together? The reading is magical: you do see people turning pages. No scenery or costumes. The actors don’t know their lines. But with Zoom, you wouldn’t know if it is live or not. I put in an intermission. I had the luxury of cutting close up to close up and back to a twosome. You get the intimacy without them being close. We dressed it up more like a movie, and like reading a book, the audience is immersed; it comes to life. Does it have enough of a heartbeat? Yes. Do they have chemistry? Yes. In the end, that’s all that matters.”