by Keith Emerald –
From Los Angeles to Broadway, the theatre world has gone dark in an unprecedented effort to stamp out the COVID-19 Corona Virus. I reached out to a handful of Southern California’s top theatres, big and small, to find out what is happening and how they plan on getting through this crisis.
I asked some theatre executives what their plan is and how the community can lend support:
ANTAEUS THEATRE COMPANY (FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANA ROSE O’HALLORAN):
Plan: Antaeus is taking it day-by-day. After discussing the safety of our artists and visitors, we made the incredibly hard decision to close our doors before we were mandated to do so. We felt it was in the best interest of our community’s health. We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation and will develop a plan based on what we learn over the next few weeks.
How to support theaters during this crisis: Consider making a donation to an arts organization you love. Many small theaters don’t have an endowment to rely on during these uncertain times, but still need to pay the bills and staff so we can open back up once this pandemic is over. If you aren’t able to make a donation, consider doing something nice for an actor, stage manager, designer, or director who finds themselves unexpectedly unemployed. www.antaeus.org
ECHO THEATER COMPANY (FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CHRIS FIELDS):
Plan: We plan on moving forward using digital means to continue what programs and initiatives we can while placing the safety of our artists, staff and patrons first in accordance with all Los Angeles, California and Federal directives.
How to support theaters during this crisis: Give, give, give. Anything. This is devastating and unprecedented and has placed all of us in wildly precarious financial straits. www.echotheatercompany.com
FOUNTAIN THEATRE (FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR STEPHEN SACHS):
Plan: The Fountain Theatre will survive this crisis. We’re exploring our options as we move forward. The Board of Directors is meeting next week to help strategize our path forward. There are immediate concerns, and long term challenges we need to address.
How to support theaters during this crisis: If you bought a ticket for a play that has been cancelled, donate the purchase back to the theatre, let them keep it. Stay engaged with the theaters you frequent as we move through this crisis together. Every theatre, large and small, will have zero income for weeks, maybe months. But we all have our same fixed operating costs. Make a contribution. Help the theatre you love. And finally, when this crisis is over — support your local theatre when it reopens. Show up. Buy tickets. Help your theatre get back on its feet. www.fountaintheatre.com
INTERNATIONAL THEATRE COMPANY (FROM PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CARYN DESAI):
Plan: One day at a time. Hard to plan for the unknown. Right now, I am moving DAISY (originally scheduled to open May 1) to June (taking SLOW FOOD’s slot – not sure about that show – may move it to 2021). I am reaching out to the cast, crew and design team for DAISY to see if they are available for the June run. So far so good. (Assuming we can still perform in June.) Not sure of the impact on my budget for the year since I don’t know what else is coming at me. I have to do DAISY in 2020. I chose it because of its relevance to today. It’s a political year and this play is timely and important in what it has to say (without bashing either side) as to who we are and how we got here. So onward! www.ictlongbeach.org
ODYSSEY THEATRE ENSEMBLE (FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR RON SOSSI):
Plan: We are trying to delay productions as far as we can. But until we know whether we can resume in May or June or July or August all speculation is pretty meaningless. www.odysseytheatre.com
OPEN FIST THEATRE COMPANY (FROM AMANDA WEIER, THE DIRECTOR OF NEVER SWIM ALONE)
Plan: The production that was running before the theater shut down two weeks ago, and also of what was to be the next show, THE SOLIDER DREAMS): The NEVER SWIM ALONE cast has committed to keeping up with their lines so they’re in position to resume performances pretty immediately if called upon. And we’ve cast THE SOLDIER DREAMS (doubling a few key roles, in case schedules change and people find they can’t move forward) and we’ll begin to experiment with virtual rehearsals. It’s a great group we’ve assembled. And they all seem pretty game to dive into these uncharted waters.
Plan: (From artistic director Martha Demson): Before I make too many predictions, let me try to get a little bit further down the road on some sustainability inquiries. While the community is immediately resourceful (and generous) — creating online groups for play-readings etc., offering online classes free of charge, sponsoring creativity forums — and patrons are widely reaching out to express their concerns, if the prohibition on producing public events goes on for months and the leaseholders/mortgage holders on empty theatres cannot receive relief from this enormous monthly expense (surely this should invoke force major clauses?), we’ll be facing mass permanent closures. I think not only of Open Fist and the other AVT theatres, but ALL those theatres along Theatre Row that rely on the Hollywood Fringe Festival each year to help them meet their annual budgets. Losing ALL revenue, including the all-important Fringe rental revenue, while still needing to meet high monthly overhead payments will crush these companies/venues. I very much hope this is not where we are headed. If small performing arts non-profits can be released from lease obligations until production resumes, we will endure. And I think we will see creativity flourishing during this quarantine in all sorts of unexpected and wonderful ways. And that theatre companies will remain the engines for community building and empathy that they have always been. Overall, I am actually very optimistic. The opportunity for reflection, the reset on our carbon footprint, and the reassessment of what is important to us as a community and country could have enormously positive societal benefits. But I am also aware that there is an enormous threat to our small theaters — in fact to most small businesses — that many have not yet considered because no one thought — even yesterday — that we might be locked in our homes until fall. www.openfist.org
SOUTH COAST REPERTORY (FROM TANIA THOMPSON):
Note/Message: These are uncertain days, but we’re all in this experience together—as families, neighbors, coworkers, local communities, states and the global community. Keep looking for small moments of joy where you may find them and try not to feel alone. Stay connected to each other through technology. When we’re able to come together again, it will be around stories that can bring much-needed entertainment, insight or catharsis and through these, perhaps we’ll be able to find a way to process all of this.
What SCR is doing: We’re mindful of the health and safety of our audience members, artists and staff, so we’re following the fast-developing news, updates, recommendations and directives on COVID-19. We canceled OUTSIDE MULLINGAR and have postponed indefinitely a student production of SNOW WHITE. We hope that we’ll find normal soon, but since nobody has a true crystal ball, especially for something of this scale, we’re trying both to stay in the moment and make informed decisions and look ahead.
Supporting local theatres: We’re asking for our audience members to consider a donation—a gift (any amount), donating their show tickets (to receive a tax deduction for the ticket value) and the like. We know it’s tough to consider at a time like this, but we would be grateful and it gifts would be especially meaningful at this time. www.scr.org