Many Broadway Theaters To Drop Vaccine Mandate In May. — Page 3

HogansHero said: "2. I cannot speak for all landlords, but the Shuberts directly employ their covid staff."

The Shuberts do not directly employ their covid staff. The vaccine checkers and compliance officers at Shubert houses are employed by SwifTest, a company contracted by The Shubert Organization to perform these duties. The people you see checking vaccination cards at Shubert theaters are neither considered employees of nor are they paid by The Shubert Organization; they are paid by SwifTest, which bills the Shuberts for their services.

https://www.swiftesting.com/

I believe that ATG is also using SwifTest, while Nederlander and Roundabout have been utilizing the covid compliance services offered by Street Meet Promotions. I haven't been to any Jujamcyn houses since the reopening, so I'm uncertain how they've been handling things.

Jordan Catalano said: "There are many many theaters that are a LOT warmer than they should be."

Jordan, you need to stop spreading mis-information. You haven't been to a Broadway theatre in YEARS! Or you're an innocent person who just doesn't know what he's saying.

HogansHero said: "I cannot speak for all landlords, but the Shuberts directly employ their covid staff."

The Shuberts do not directly hire the covid staff, they are a different company.

frogs_fan85 said: "Wick3 said:

I don't know how much they pay the covid safety folks but I'd presume it would be $15-$20/hr (remember NYC minimum wage is $15/hr.) For 2 hours of checking vaccination cards, that would be $30-$40 per person per performance. If there are 4 of them each shift, that's still under $200 per performance. For shows that gross over $1 million each week, that $200 expense to check vaccine cards is almost nothing.

Unless... do they pay the covid safety folks a lot more money to the point where it really would drive up running cost significantly?"

You have this more or less correct in theory as the costs shouldn't be so prohibitive (unless the show is already bleeding mone). However, from what I can tell though none of the Broadway houses are directly employing their vaccination checkers and they're all coming from staffing agencies. That brings along with it a ton of overhead and management fees. I'm also not sure if the call for the vaccination checkers is just two hours. I haven't physically left a show at intermission though to notice if they remain to recheck vaccination status following intermission. (Although some houses have been using hand stamps to eliminate that need.)

Speaking from my own experience- where I work we had an agency providing staffing when we first reopened, but immediately started a gradual transition to directly employing our vaccination checkers outright as the costs with the staffing agency weren't economical. It took a few months to fully execute that transition. Based on the branded garb I've seen in going to Broadway recently, I don't think any of those houses have made the same transition to direct employment."

Thank you as I didn't know that and yes, if it goes through a third party agency then the costs can be significant as the theater also has to pay the middle man. I can see this being at least $1,000 per performance if not more.

Fosse76 said: "HogansHero said: "I cannot speak for all landlords, but the Shuberts directly employ their covid staff."

The Shuberts do not directly hire the covid staff, they are a different company."

You are (maybe unwittingly) wrong. They are employed by a Shubert-owned company, hired and fired by Shubert HR, paid by the Shuberts, just as (as one example) people who work for telecharge are. I encourage you not to post things that are wrong. It seems to be a new bad habit of yours (based on your above posts). If you persist (and obvs you can) I will continue to call you out when u do (as obvs I can).

HogansHero said: "Fosse76 said: "HogansHero said: "I cannot speak for all landlords, but the Shuberts directly employ their covid staff."

The Shuberts do not directly hire the covid staff, they are a different company."

You are (maybe unwittingly) wrong. They are employed by a Shubert-owned company, hired and fired by Shubert HR, paid by the Shuberts, just as (as one example) people who work for telecharge are. I encourage you not to post things that are wrong. It seems to be a new bad habit of yours (based on your above posts). If you persist (and obvs you can) I will continue to call you out when u do (as obvs I can)."

You're wrong. They are contracted.

Thanks for that, uncageg. Everything you said is what I WANT to start thinking but my brain just isn’t there yet.


I also wonder if/when actors testing will be stopped and only people who show symptoms will be tested.

BroadwayGuy12 said: "Yeah, I feel like they got this backwards. I find it hard to believe that most people who have thus far chosen to go unvaccinated are going to be willing to wear a mask for the duration of their show without causing a fuss.

All this is going to do is create more stress on the already overworked FOH and Covid teams (if they indeed plan on keeping any of the 'Mask Up' people that have been present throughout performances of shows likeCompany)."

You are correct. My mother refuses to get vaccinated. I told her (not happily) that she can see a show now and she says she refuses because she won’t wear a mask for two hours. No clue who this rule lift is catering to, but I’m dreading the harm it’ll cause us all

Few things. One, as a Shubert usher I can tell you that yes, Shubert create their own covid safety department and is in charge of keeping track of their employees testing schedule etc. I know this because there was a day where I had to work, as it was a holiday the theatre employee testing centers were closed. Spoke to my chief usher who had me call the man who runs the covid safety department for Shubert.

Also, as an usher, I ca tell you it is not our job to deal with those who have their masks not fully on. Just like it’s not the covid safety staff to seat people. I have spoken with covid staff before, they said that they have had some negative and at times, wildly inappropate false complaints made about them due to masks. However, as far as the union is concerned, since ushers are the face of the organization, they don’t want their ushers to possibly put themselves in hot water due to being told to also check masks.

They probably could do that, with a lot of planning. It's a lot easier to decide when to go to the movies for many people, than when to go to a Broadway show.

bwayplays said: "What I want to know is for those who are ONLY going to theatre with mandates in place (both vaccine and masks), what do you do once one or both are lifted. Vaccine checks are gone in May, but masks remain for now. And as always can continue wearing masks even after the mandate is lifted. But does the lifting of mandates change your theatre going?"

I don't know yet. I just got a ticket for tomorrow night but the rest of my shows in May are at off-Broadway venues. I'm definitely hoping Paradise Square comes back in April. I'll check their policies but I don't feel any urgency about the shows that seem safe (e.g. Hadestown, Company, Six) so I'll just probably keep waiting on those. I'll be curious about the Met Opera next season as right now that's the only thing past May that I'm planning on getting tickets for.

I agree that this seems like the worst option.