Delaware theater organizations face the realities of a Phase 1 reopening.
“O, brave new world,” wrote Shakespeare in “The Tempest.” For arts organizations operating after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, it will certainly be a new world.
That play was supposed to be performed this summer by Delaware Shakespeare at the annual Summer Shakespeare Festival at Wilmington’s Rockwood Park. Now, even though arts performances are permitted to begin June 1 under Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plans, the festival is up in the air.
A full house is a great sign of success for any arts group, but that’s not possible under Gov. John Carney’s reopening plan that allows for just 30% of seats to be filled for a performance.
“The logistics and financial reality for how performing arts organizations work, it’s pretty impossible for us to open and do a performance with only 30% of our paying audience,” said David Stradley, producing artistic director for Delaware Shakespeare.
While retail stores and restaurants are also limited to 30% of their capacity, those businesses can more easily spread out patrons over the course of the day. “For a performing arts company, you’re gathering all those people at the same time in the same place,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to do the financial math at 30% of audience capacity.”
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The show can go on, but when will it? Delaware theaters hesitant to reopen
