Posted: 8/4/21 at 9:33am
Posted: 8/4/21 at 9:38am
BroadwayRox3588 said: "Lolla literally just happened. Any surge of cases due to it won't show up until this weekend, at the earliest. Not saying Lolla won't cause an uptick, but it wouldn't be seen this soon.
The surge happening in Chicago is happening literally everywhere, at varying times/impacts,and it's because of the Delta variant in general. Much like previous waves of this pandemic, very few places will not feel an impact.
Furthermore, closing theatres because of any uptick in cases would be completely counterproductive to what we all need to start doing: learning how to live with Covid. It ain't going away, folks."
Agreed and in fact Chicago is doing well now for an urban area: it's having less than 10/100k daily cases. (Miami is over 8 times as high.) While everyone has a different learning curve, the horrible numbers and consequences are related to the unvaccinated. It is not a coincidence that the case numbers are so much lower where folks are unvaccinated. Living with the spectre of covid is about getting the stupid people vaccinated and isolating them until they are. For the vaccinated, the calculus is very different.
Posted: 8/4/21 at 9:43am
Posted: 8/11/21 at 4:38am
This isn't about Broadway, but it is about some issues that have cropped up in the San Francisco Bay Area where a few theaters have reopened.
Not everyone will be particularly concerned, but it's an example of the challenges all theaters face when dealing with people with different levels of risk tolerance and how seriously to take the virus - given the added dangers of the Delta variant.
I attended a play last Friday at one of the theaters mentioned in the article, the San Francisco Playhouse. The main problem I have is disclosure and compliance, even by the leaders of the place. The theater had advertised that masks would be required, so it's pretty ironic that the opening performance of its first multi-character play included employees and attendees, including the theater's co-founder, being unmasked.
I wanted to go to that play in part to support the theater, which I think does a nice job, but also because they seemed to be taking things seriously - which I was assured about when I called with a question about vaccination proof (which is required).
There's no easy answer to any of this, and I saw no problems at the performance I attended (though I arrived a couple of minutes late and my seat was in the front row of the mezzanine). I just want to be told the policy so I can make informed decisions.
I hope the theater has learned a few lessons. I've never been to that Castro Valley community theater, but the hide-the-ball attitude about performers being vaccinated is a very bad look. I know theaters attract free spirits who don't like being told what to do, but a global pandemic that's spread easily in indoor settings feels like an exception.
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/covid-protocols-problems-take-center-stage-as-bay-area-theaters-resume-productions
Posted: 8/12/21 at 10:21pm
Posted: 8/12/21 at 10:25pm
Good call, San Fran. Guess Laura Osnes won't be going there anytime soon!
Posted: 8/13/21 at 8:06am
Posted: 8/13/21 at 10:33am
binau said: "Has it been decided what the protocol will be if a cast member tests positive for COVID? Basically I’m hoping the show won’t be cancelled like what is happening (temporarily) in London…"
For what it's worth, the current CDC guidelines are that if a vaccinated person comes into contact with a positive case, as long as the vaccinated person does not exhibit symptoms, they do not need to quarantine, but should get a test 3-5 days after exposure.
Since all cast members will be vaccinated, it would follow that one positive case would not necessitate a production shut down with everyone quarantining. At least not according to the CDC. But the unions might be more cautious. However, that's a lot of lost revenue so they might decided to adhere to CDC guidelines.
