With social distancing, only about eight audience members would be allowed into MoCo’s black box theater. Even if they utilized theater space at nearby Keene State University, the crowd would be much smaller.

Instead of returning to live performances, Messer borrowed an idea from professional dance and theater troupes, which began releasing videos of old productions during the pandemic as a way to keep some revenue coming in. MoCo would film productions, making them available for streaming or download to family members and anyone else who was interested.