Live from Lockdown: Reimagining Guerra de los Mundos
When theaters shut down during the pandemic, most productions hit pause. We hit record.
This is the story of how we took a stage play about a fake alien invasion… and turned it into a live television event during a real global crisis.
It All Started With a Closed Theatre and a Blank Page
La Guerra de los Mundos was originally a stage production. Inspired by the infamous 1938 Orson Welles broadcast that convinced people aliens were invading Earth, our version paid homage to the chaos of that night - live sound effects, quick character changes, and a wild, fast-paced rhythm that kept the audience guessing.
Then the world shut down. Theatres closed. Audiences disappeared. Our show - like so many - was suddenly homeless.
But instead of shelving it, we reimagined it. From the ground up.
Migue Siman hosting the epilogue live on TV.
A New Medium, a New Monster
Adapting the show for television meant rethinking everything. We designed a full 360º set that cameras could move through, rather than simply filming a traditional stage. The cast doubled in size—13 actors playing over 27 characters—and every scene had to be reblocked to work for the lens, not a live audience. All sound effects were recreated live, in real time, on set—just as they were in the original 1938 broadcast. It was a complete reinvention of the piece, built from the ground up for a new medium.
Every step of this process was pure chaos—in the best way. Two roaming cameras. A TV crew hidden inside the set, wearing masks and dodging boom mics. COVID tests every few days. Delays. More COVID tests. And a countdown clock ticking toward our live broadcast on Canal 12.
But it happened. It worked. And somehow, it became one of the most surreal creative challenges I’ve ever loved.
Our cast rehearsing.
Framing the Panic
What I appreciated most was the opportunity to start from zero. We reblocked every scene and reimagined the pacing with framing in mind. During rehearsals we simulated camera movements to shape the layout and structure making sure the viewer could geographically understand the set and get hooked on the action. It became less about showing everything, and more about deciding exactly what to show—and when.
A Time Machine Made Out of Adrenaline
The truth is, War of the Worlds was never just about aliens. It’s about panic. Misinformation. The terrifying speed of media when we stop questioning what we hear. It’s about now.
And bringing it to life - twice, in two completely different ways - was a lesson in how history ever repeats itself and helps us understand the forever changing climate.
Our principal cast, before the cameras went live.
A Couple Thanks
To our actors - thank you for jumping headfirst into the madness. For your voices, your energy, your commitment to the chaos. This show doesn’t exist without you.
And to the thousands who tuned in - on TV, online, or from some bunker in the middle of real life uncertainty - thank you. You gave this story a second life. The fact that it reached so many people still blows my mind.
More stories soon.
Check out our BTS gallery by Ale Pinto:
