When I’m not writing or doing videos/streams/all that stuff, I work in theatre ed. It’s a scary time to work in any facet of live entertainment. When the lockdown started, we knew we would be waiting a long time to get back to work. Many of my friends have been out of work for well over a year; some have had to leave theatre behind to survive. I’m in a position of privilege in working in educational theatre in that live performance is not essential to my job.
I have mixed feelings about the announcement yesterday from NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo that Broadway theatres are going to be allowed to reopen on 14 September. Believe me, when Broadway reopens, all the theatres I work with in my little corner right outside of NYC will follow. That’s amazing. There will be jobs available. New works will be produced. People will be able to directly support my industry again.
I’m just worried about the safety of the theatre professionals. These buildings aren’t as modular as a film or television set. Many theatres are either historical landmarks or renovated spaces. That means that the audience has plenty of room to move around, but the performers, designers, tech crew, etc. are packed backstage like sardines. I’ve worked in physical theatres that didn’t have enough backstage space to socially distance a one person show because even a show with a cast of one has people working behind the scenes. I can’t imagine how a large ensemble show could safely reopen in four months.
Here’s what we know for sure. Shows like Six, Phantom of the Opera, and Diana have announced reopening dates. Rumors are swirling about what shows will announce next. Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s play Passing Over will reopen the August Wilson Theatre in a newly revised form. Some off and off-off-Broadway shows have already resumed performances and more are going to be able to reopen on 16 May when more restrictions are lifted.
It’s okay to celebrate the return of Broadway while having valid concerns with how it will be done safely. We’ve seen how schools were just reopened with a jar of hand sanitizer and a dream. People in every industry, even the entertainment industry, deserve the chance to work under safe conditions, especially during a global pandemic. Vaccination will help, but the overly crowded backstage conditions need to be addressed, as well as cleaning and testing protocols. As far as we know, Actors Equity Association, the union representing professional stage actors and stage managers, has not reached an agreement with the producers of Broadway shows to safely reopen productions. There are theatre professionals who will not go back to work if going back to work means risking their lives, and they shouldn’t have to.
As for me, I’ve been struggling. I had a panic attack the other day when meeting with people for a socially distanced outdoor lunch break when I knew the small group of four had all been fully vaccinated. Once I finished eating, I put my mask on to help me feel safe and allow me to ground myself; I left early. I will not feel safe being in an audience for a show or performing with anyone else onstage anytime soon. There are theatres I know I’m not ready to work at again unless I receive news that they’ve renovated the theatre so I can’t get stuck by a single file hallway or will be expected to be elbow to elbow with a room full of designers or board ops because that’s where all the lights and sound happen.
The whole situation is a lot more complicated than “get your tickets now.”
