For the first time in what seems like forever, a show will go on. The Actors’ Equity Union, who represent the professional interest of over 50,000 actors has sanctioned the two performances – an outdoor performance of Godspell and an indoor one of Harry Clarke.
While non-unionised actors have been performing, often outdoors and always socially distanced, the announcement from the union marks the first collective who will perform to a paying audience. They have, however, banned in-person auditions, rehearsals, and performances due to safety concerns.
In a perhaps more blunt manner than usual, Kate Shindle, president of Actors’ Equity said that: “We’re not trying to stop people from doing theatre, but we are trying to stop people from getting sick and/or dying.”
At present, the casts are planning on isolating in house and will be tested for the virus regularly. The productions will be fully staged, however, there will be no physical contact between the actors to ensure social distancing continues to be observed.
She continued that: “The fact that there is going to be Equity-approved theatre this summer is something that I really wasn’t sure was going to be able to happen.”
The union’s executive director, Mary McColl, said that she is currently discussing resuming performances with some 70 producers across the US, saying that: “as we’ve been working through the protocols that would be necessary, everything started to go crazy in a lot of these states.
“We’re not in control of the virus, and neither are these producers.”
