Actors and audience members alike want to know: “When will shows start again, and what will the experience look like?”
After a sudden disruption to the performing arts industry due to the global pandemic, theater industry professionals have been either unemployed or experienced significant alterations to their normal operations for the past six months.
Those who partake in the arts have had to find alternative ways to view performances, ranging from play readings on Zoom, online improv shows, or virtual cabarets filmed from the comfort of the performers’ own homes.
As a performer and aspiring arts professional myself, I have felt an unimaginable void in my life and am constantly concerned about what the state of the arts industry will look like upon my graduation in eight months. Will the arts be back to normal?
Theaters battle concerns over physical & financial health
While many may be eager to see a play or perform again, the theater industry must be mindful of the protocols in place aimed at eradicating this virus as soon as possible. The very nature of theater itself does not make it conducive to these precautions, from close-quarters backstage to the high-contact surfaces for both performers and patrons.
During the 2018-2019 season, Broadway saw a total of 14,768,254 audience members. With people traveling from all over the world to see these acclaimed performances, keeping productions of this caliber running simply is not feasible when society must focus on public health.
However, the sustained suspension of performances has proved to be too powerful for some shows. While several productions are postponed, Disney’s Frozen will not be reopening once the storm of the pandemic clears. If Broadway shows are struggling to survive, an unfortunate fate is that small community theaters may be forced to fold due to lack of income.
How long will the lights be dim in theaters everywhere?
Predicting theater’s timeline
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top expert on infectious diseases, recently shared his thoughts regarding when theatrical productions can resume. While we may not see sold-out houses for quite some time, theaters will not necessarily remain closed entirely until 2021.
Fauci offers some hope for theater lovers: “Depending on the level of infection in a state/city/community, I can see opening of theaters with attention to varying degrees of masking, reduced capacity, and attention to other public health issues.”
An effective vaccine will have to be available for almost a year, but we will approach true “normal” gradually throughout 2021, as that is the soonest the majority of the population could be vaccinated. Until then, theatergoers will likely have to wear masks when going to enjoy an indoor performance.
Experience art in alternative ways
Until large indoor gatherings are safe, community, regional, and Broadway theaters have all been getting creative during these unprecedented times to keep providing the art that the world so desperately needs right now.
On the local level, performers are easing their way into making music again. In Enfield, CT, a choir at the Opera House Players has been safely rehearsing in small groups, with all singers wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Playhouse on Park, a professional theater in West Hartford, has been providing a variety of pandemic-adapted performances in accordance with CDC guidelines which state that outdoor activities are safer. Recently, audiences have attended comedy nights and cabarets at a local farm and viewed Kennedy: Bobby’s Last Crusade on the jumbotron at Hartford’s Dunkin’ Donuts Park. Patrons also have the opportunity to view this play in their own homes by purchasing a link to stream.
Across the pond, the musical Six is scheduled to be the first production to return to London’s West End. Safety precautions in place include limited capacity, hand sanitation, face coverings, contactless tickets, and thorough cleaning.
As much as I cannot wait for the day that I can be on the stage again or sit in the audience and applaud other talented performers, we must wait until it is safe to say that “the show must go on” at full force. This is vital in order to protect the health of the members of the performing arts community, as well as the overall health of the industry itself.