Concerns by theater unions about surging coronavirus cases around the nation are impacting decisions by those who oversee productions in the state.
Arizona Theatre Company’s artistic director Sean Daniels on Monday announced they are pushing back the start of their 2021 indoor season until later in the year than previously announced.
Daniels said they couldn’t safely conduct rehearsals for actors, let alone provide a safe indoor viewing experience for 600 people sitting in an audience.
“I’ve never attended a piece of theater when someone didn’t cough in the first 10 minutes of a show. And so, is everyone going to bolt for the doors when that happens? That just doesn’t feel like the art form that we know and so we just thought better to be safe, better to take care of our people," Daniels said.
The digital following the company has amassed over the past several months is encouraging, according to Daniels, as they continue to provide online material that attracts tens of thousands of virtual viewers who represent an expanded base of financial support for the theatre.
Eighty-five percent of supporters who were recently polled were not ready to return to in-person viewing, according to Daniels.
