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

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:23pm

There is so much mis-information in this thread it is absurd. People who manifestly have not been in a Broadway theatre in years reporting as if they have, others who can't be troubled to keep up with the science, and innocent people who just don't know what they are stating. A couple of points: 1. I have been to almost every new show on Broadway since the reopening. I have been in zero sweat boxes. 2. I cannot speak for all landlords, but the Shuberts directly employ their covid staff.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:25pm

JSquared2, what other rules do you agree to follow and then decide you’re too good to actually follow through with what you agreed to do?

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:27pm

HogansHero said: "There is so much mis-information in this thread it is absurd. People who manifestly have not been in a Broadway theatre in years reporting as if they have, others who can't be troubled to keep up with the science, and innocent people who just don't know what they are stating. A couple of points: 1. I have been to almost every new show on Broadway since the reopening. I have been in zero sweat boxes. 2. I cannot speak for all landlords, but the Shuberts directly employ their covid staff."

So you're telling me that I'm lying because I've been hot in theatres over the last few weeks? I was just at How I Learned to Drive last night in a t-shirt and sweating. The same thing happened last week when I saw Take Me Out the week prior. Guess I haven't been in a Broadway theatre for years so thanks for notifying me.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:50pm

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]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:50pm

There are many many theaters that are a LOT warmer than they should be. 

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:53pm

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.

[bwayplays]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:55pm

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

This. Many times too theatres are either freezing one day or sweating another. Specifically the Kerr. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:57pm

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.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 4:58pm

ClydeBarrow said: "So you're telling me that I'm lying because I've been hot in theatres over the last few weeks? I was just at How I Learned to Drive last night in a t-shirt and sweating. The same thing happened last week when I saw Take Me Out the week prior. Guess I haven't been in a Broadway theatre for years so thanks for notifying me."

No, I did not suggest you were lying or that you had not been in a Broadway house. Our bodies do not have uniform sensitivities or reactions. You did not say that you were hot and sweating; you said the theatres are "sweat boxes." That suggests something objective, and it is demonstrably incorrect. Ordinarily, theatres are kept "too cool" [not TV studio frigid, but cooler than "normal"] because (a) they have to be for the benefit of the actors and (b) many people believe the maxim that comedy at least plays better when the audience is chilly. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:01pm

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. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:07pm

A thousand dollars per performance is a handful of tickets (for most shows). It’ll be an interesting experiment to see if they lose more than that once these stop.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:10pm

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). 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:12pm

I’ve spoke to quite a few Covid-Check people before the show and yes, they’re a private company hired by the theaters. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:17pm

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. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:29pm

I fully expected this decision and I agree with it. I am a bit surprised most aren't.

We are at a point where even though we didn't hit that 70% fully vaccination mark like many other countries, we are slightly above 66% it will probably be a while, if at all, that we will go above a 70% vaccination rate in the country. That may happen if we get a surge of a stronger variant. And then we can expect people not to continue to get vaccinated yearly if the CDC says we should. We now know that being vaxed and boosted does not stop you from spreading or getting Covid. It does lessen, and it seems to a great degree, the severity of it. People who are boosted are getting it left and right. I know people who have had it twice. One who got it twice after being vaccinated and again after being boosted. So at this point,it is those who aren't vaxed (And are even anti mask) who are taking a big chance. As mentioned by people in the medical community and the CDC, unless this takes a really nasty turn and more people finally get vaxed, those who aren't will spread it easily among themselves. Report after report in the media say that the highest percentage of people being hospitalized are non vaccinated people. I am hearing this from friends and family in the medical community. Masks are working and I will continue to wear mine until I feel comfortable taking it off.

Not just the actors but the production staff are taking a chance every night. These shutdowns are not from people in the audience who are masked. It has to be taken into account that they may have roommates they could have gotten it from, family members or they just let their guards down. And also humans being humans, there are a lot of fake vaccination cards out there. I think the League made the right decision. I would rather be around people who are masked than possibly breathing the air of people who may be sitting around me who are positive and spreading it with no masks on. I am in the minority on this but, again, I am happy with this decision.  I am wondering though, if testing will continue for productions and house staff. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:34pm

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. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:43pm

Fosse76 said: "You're wrong. They are contracted."

My comment is limited to the Shuberts and they are not contracted from outside the Shubert umbrella. No point in any back and forth beyond that. 

 

[soulmistin]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:44pm

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 

[soulmistin]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:44pm

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 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 5:48pm

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. 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:24pm

Why can’t they do “Covid safe shows?” 
 

a small local movie theatre on Thursday’s and Sunday’s requires vaccines, but other days don’t. 
 

I want a vaccine requirement full stop, but if they won’t do this, why not designate any performances to Vax only? 

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:26pm

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.

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:28pm

pagereynolds said: "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."

Just delegate days of the week to those performances, don’t think it’s more complicated than mentioning when a star will be on vacation. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:44pm

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. 

[bwayplays]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:48pm

Mike Barrett said: "pagereynolds said: "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."

Just delegate days of the week to those performances, don’t think it’s more complicated than mentioning when a star will be on vacation."

Unlikely. It would also cause confusion. Tourists will only see “vaccine lifted for Broadway” and apply that to all shows. They won’t care to take the next step and check for specific shows or dates.