Re-opening Procedure after Covid-19

Marinas and designated boat launches are officially open in NYS. Not sure what I use is actually called a boat launch. Just the bank of a creek I can walk to from parking area. Works just fine.

Yeah, it sucks that Ontario is closed to canoeing. Seems downright un-Canadian. And I heard from a lot of very unhappy Yanks that are very upset they can't go to Quetico PP. Like what could be more socially distant than a few hundred people in more than 1.1 million acres of wilderness? Luckily, I now have the Adirondacks.
 
Socially distancing audiences presents some creative possibilities for problem solving. However, what about casts and crew? A solo show or an orchestra where people pretty much stay in the same spot for the duration is one thing but a play or musical with a cast of 10, 20 or more? How does one do blocking with every cast member 6 ft apart? Or deal with the inevitable sound issues of trying to project or sing with a mask on. Well endowed professional theater companies may come up with some technological or complex solutions but what about college, high school, or community theater?
Our community theater had to cancel a youth production of Pinocchio just a week before opening night due to Covid19. I can't think of any practical way to run a play with a cast of 20 in the near future, like the next year or more.

Thoughts?
 
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Doug -- In my experience, high school and especially college productions are the ones that can afford to experiment, as they don't have to worry about financial support or critical reception.

The 'first wave' of responses seem to be to try and shift shows to 'online performances' via Zoom or other platforms. The results I've seen often resemble a collection of monologues rather than an integrated production. I strongly suspect the Fall offerings will step more toward television- and film-like productions; but it means integrating a skill set that most theatre folk haven't grasped yet.

Another alternative, which also helps deal with social-distancing audiences in live performances, is to simultaneously livestream performances for Internet consumption.
 
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It's true you can only do so many A Midsummer Night's Dreams in a 2001 Space Odyssey motif, complete with space suits. (How odd to say 2001 and we're really not there in 2020.)

I am inclined to think we won't see much "theatre" for a long while, probably not until a proven vaccine is developed and delivered everywhere, which may be well into 2021 or beyond. Maybe sooner, but don't count on it. I expect churches won't wait and will be the cause for some outbreaks. I hate to be so pessimistic but I suspect some of the states trying to reopen now will show increased cases - and deaths - in a few weeks and set this whole recovery back.
 
Like what could be more socially distant than a few hundred people in more than 1.1 million acres of wilderness?
The justification is they'd rather not have to devote resources to wilderness rescue when they are needed for other things. There's some truth to that. A couple of weeks ago some kayakers (and I use the term loosely) got themselves into trouble paddling flatwater on the Ottawa River.
 
I understand. Just seems ironic. I'm just glad I can get out. County population of 120,000, 62 diagnosed cases, 58 recoverd and released, no deaths.
 
The problem we're facing is that we need scientifically solid guidance on how to open various kinds of business activity. The problem is that the CDC is being hamstrung by politics. They have written guidance only to have the White House edit and water down their efforts before releasing it. At this point, we have to hope that state and local health officials are accurate and independent sources of information.

As for me, heck no I'm not going to the barber when they open.
 
The problem we're facing is that we need scientifically solid guidance on how to open various kinds of business activity. The problem is that the CDC is being hamstrung by politics. They have written guidance only to have the White House edit and water down their efforts before releasing it. At this point, we have to hope that state and local health officials are accurate and independent sources of information.

As for me, heck no I'm not going to the barber when they open.
I have a copy of the CDC re-opening guidance that was downloaded from DocumentCloud. I've attached to this post. Also have the CT Arts, Culture & Industry guide as PDF, I think it was linked in another thread here at CB.

The guidance is beginning to emerge but only time will tell if the inevitable near-term increase in infections were mitigated by the guidance, or if the guidance was ignored or ineffectively implemented.
 

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Looking at the schools section it seems like theater programs, especially ones (like mine) that are heavily volunteer dependent, will be among the last things to restart. Which is about what I figured. Reopen in the fall but only for classroom activities, with students, teachers, and essential staff. No extracurriculars until much later in the year, if at all.
 
Looking at the schools section it seems like theater programs, especially ones (like mine) that are heavily volunteer dependent, will be among the last things to restart. Which is about what I figured. Reopen in the fall but only for classroom activities, with students, teachers, and essential staff. No extracurriculars until much later in the year, if at all.
Presuming Wave 1.5 doesn't deter folks and the 2nd wave of coronavirus infections is not on the scale of the first... well, who knows for sure... but yeah, unless the hospitals are in danger of running out of ICU and morgue space, my guess is by the 1 year point, political leaders of currently afflicted nations will have calculated how many people in what demographic groups are likely to die and will have made decisions about the financial and political consequenses of letting that just happen. A kind of passive genocide where 'mother nature' can be blamed.
 
Presuming Wave 1.5 doesn't deter folks and the 2nd wave of coronavirus infections is not on the scale of the first... well, who knows for sure... but yeah, unless the hospitals are in danger of running out of ICU and morgue space, my guess is by the 1 year point, political leaders of currently afflicted nations will have calculated how many people in what demographic groups are likely to die and will have made decisions about the financial and political consequenses of letting that just happen. A kind of passive genocide where 'mother nature' can be blamed.
Warning: Biased, political comments coming. I hate to say it, but it's already happened. Trump has made the calculation that minorities and and people living in densely populated, blue states don't vote for him, and they are experiencing the highest mortality rates. Rich, white people and those living in farm country vote for Trump, and their mortality rate is the lowest. Therefore, he can take more risk to save his beloved economy. And, when it goes sideways, which it will, he'll blame the blue state governors (and Obama, Pelosi, the Chinese, the WHO). We're all cannon fodder for the campaign.
 
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Such logic would work best in swing states, but a whole lot more New Yorkers, Los Angelinos, San Franciscans and Chicagoans will have to die before it would change the electoral balance in blue counties or most blue states.

He doesn't need real people to blame, he can stand at the lectern and say "notme did it!"
 
The Event Safety Alliance is supposed to be publishing a restart guide that they've worked on some time today (monday 5/11). I"ll be interested to see what it says.
 
Was that all individuals each 6' one from another or some groups of 2, 3, or 4? I assume start with every other row - usually 3' row to row - and then 4 empty seats between. It would be interesting to see how how large and obnoxious sneeze shields between some seats would be. Maybe a piece that attaches at the center of one intervening seat.

Do you have to maintain the 6' during ingress and egress? I assume so.

At least in NYS, the rule seems to suggest face masks when social distancing - 6' - is not possible. So can people sit closer than 6' from another group if they wear masks? (Could severely curtail alcohol sales even more.)

This was based on every individual being seated 6 feet from the next. ESA just released their Reopening Guidelines, and there is language about related and unrelated groups, which gives me hope that things may not be as bad as they currently seem.

We've discussed increasing the length of time between house opening and curtain, to help with social distancing. We also discussed keeping the lobby closed until the house is ready to open.

ESA has suggested that face masks should be mandatory, at least in the short term.

Either way, it will be a long time before we can pack 1200 people into our space.
 
I don't expect most assembly activity - performing arts, sports, worship, political rallies (not such a loss perhaps) - until at least 2021 - and maybe well into it. Really needs immunity - either natural or vaccine -and that seems far off.
 
Event Safety Alliance just published a document today about this. I believe a link to it is on the CB Facebook page. While not comprehensive, it's a really solid jumping off point.
 
IN ORDER TO MEET CDC GUIDELINES AND TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF TICKET BUYERS TICKETS WILL BE SOLD IN GROUPS FOR EACH TICKET BUYERS POD OR GROUP. THEY CAN PURCHASED IN THE GROUPS OF THE FOLLOWING: 2,4,6,8,12 AND 13. TICKETS ARE LIMITED THERE WILL BE NO SINGLE SEATS AVAILABLE.
(Emphasis mine)

I suspect we will see many policies like this when we start back up. I don't know how I feel about no single seats being available though...
 

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