For some of us the virus arrived in multiple locations simultaneously. In mid-March we were already very concerned for our family in northern Italy even as I was preparing a new production in North Carolina and my partner was home at work in New York. Although things were still calm where I was, events in NY were moving quickly and it was becoming clear that our production would never be seen by an audience. I watched from afar as stores closed one by one and Broadway completely shut down. Within days the same had happened to us in North Carolina. It wasn’t long before each new day brought a flood of cancellations of future productions, and soon all 2020 employment had disappeared.

The first logical and emotional reaction was to reach out to colleagues, both recent and from years past. Checking to see how they were weathering the storm, did they have any work left, how were the Covid numbers in their states? It was soothing to re-connect with old friends and to know that we were all in the same situation; with one huge difference.

As opposed to most countries, the US did not adopt a centralized federal response. Rather, we were left to the judgement of each individual state governors ( some highly influenced by our current president, others moving ahead solely based on science ) We are fortunate to live in New York where our government took a hard line, a tight shutdown, and even now we are in the midst of one of the slowest and most precise re-openings in the country. Many have left the city for vacation homes, family homes, and other safe havens.

I think this has added to our Virus stress in the US. Already in the middle of a contentious (toxic) election season, many of us believe that the past 4 years have done so much damage to our country, at home and abroad. We now sit at home and watch the evening news full of more self-inflicted wounds.

The Performing Arts Community is at a very difficult crossroad. We are trying to keep our creative juices flowing, organizing online fundraisers, actors and musicians from Broadway productions joining together to raise money to help the victims of Covid. I am currently working on one such event with a cast of CATS who have not been together in 35 years. It is rewarding and exciting, but for an art form that is all about collaboration, 45 singers recording from their individual homes will never replace all of us joined together in a theater.

When will that happen? I’d like to be optimistic, but the reality is not pleasant. The finances of theater, opera and symphonies cannot be sustained with 25% capacity, not any more than a restaurant could survive with those numbers. How do we separate actors, musicians, those who work backstage? It will surely be a slow arduous task, small chamber groups playing at a distance, a singer giving a solo concert, a small musical with 2 or 3 actors.
The challenges are enormous, so for now we can only wait for solutions, and garden, paint, chat with the birds in the yard, prepare amazing meals, appreciate an evening at a restaurant as if it is the first time, explore Maine and Massachusetts instead of Europe and Asia.

We prepare for the time we can go back to “normal” and hope that progress can be made to bring that day closer.