Going Dark: Theater in the Time of Covid-19

Since New York City theaters were ordered to close on March 17 to avoid a faster spread of the Corona virus, they are facing the hardest challenge of their existence, with astronomical losses of revenue and jobs. The reopening has been postponed to after Labor Day (September 7) and it is unclear if audiences will be ready to return to spaces where they will need to be in close proximity to one another, even taking precautionary measures. While several small venues have already closed their doors for good and others are barely afloat, having been forced to furlough most of their staff, a decision from Congress to fund a stimulus for the Arts is awaited. The industry and all the other sectors depending on it (restaurants, taxis, hotels, bars, etc.) will suffer but theater won’t die.