There’s a saying in the theater world – the show must go on, but in the wake of COVID-19, many theaters have closed, including the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton. The goal is to protect audiences and about 70 employees – and to re-open on June 19th.
For weeks now, the artistic director of the American Shakespeare Center had been watching as COVID-19 spread through the U.S. and revenues at the Blackfriars Theatre in Staunton fell. Ethan McSweeney was moved by the dedication of his actors and those who supported each performance.
“A lot of my volunteer ushers are in that category age wise where they might be considered more at risk, and they were among the people who were diligently cleaning the theater between every performance, scrubbing every surface,” he recalls.
They were careful to follow federal and state guidelines.
“The governor announced the restriction on gatherings of 100 at about 1:15, and we had a 2 o’clock matinee, and I got on stage and I shared with everyone that there were 87 people in the house!”
But now McSweeney says the only responsible thing to do is to shut down – to prevent the spread of disease and preserve the future of the company. He’s given everyone two weeks’ notice. Employees will retain their health insurance and can apply for unemployment compensation until the theater re-opens on June 19th – inspired by the bard.
“The plague was really a feature of Elizabethan England, and it on more than one occasion shut down Shakespeare’s company,” he says.
But like Shakepeare, he vows to continue – recording seven plays in the next two weeks – making it possible to share them with educational partners until it’s safe to resume live performance.
