COVID-19 Plan

We are excited to announce that our productions of The Thanksgiving Play and Mixed
Nuts will continue to be produced despite COVID complications. To ensure the safety of
our cast, crew, and production team all elements of the production will be done via the
internet. We believe that for the safety of our patrons, having performance accessible
through our website will allow our patrons to enjoy the theatre we are producing from the
comfort of their own home. We believe that this is a way to reach the most people during
this time. We don’t want to put anyone at risk by having them leave their own, and are
doing what we can to accommodate the most patrons we can.

We want to make sure that everything we do keeps our young artists safe. One thing that
we will start working with will be possible zoom rehearsals. These would happen at the
beginning of a production. These would consist of table readings and tablework, which
are usually the first couple of weeks into the rehearsal process. Since we want to create
an educational space, this will allow our artists to build their character and get into the
world before going in person and getting the play into their body.

After the first couple of weeks, our rehearsal will transition into in person work.
Everyone will have to do a daily symptom check, before coming into the actual theater.
We will move rehearsals online, if we can, if we happen to have a cast or crew member
contract or exposed to COVID-19. All rehearsals will be conducted with masks. The
company of cast and crew will decide whether they want to perform masked or socially
distant and unmasked. This will be up to the comfort level of our cast and crew, since we
have no audience, and they would have already been rehearsing together for a long period
of time.

If we do find that and the theater will not be a place we can perform, we will transition to
performances over zoom. A few of our members have personal experience working with
theater companies during this pandemic and doing show in-person, live-streamed and
online. We want to make sure that, especially for our young cast and crew, everything is
done safely and proactively.

What makes the Thanksgiving Play so unique is the structure of the script. The scenes
alternate between teaching materials that were once published online and scenes
occurring in a classroom. We believe that this will be an excellent opportunity for
exploration of current issues that our education and arts systems are facing with strictly
online content. We want to reach as many students during this time as possible and we
believe that digital is the way to go. The actors will rehearse and perform over Zoom,
which will be available to be streamed by the public. This will put the least amount of
people at risk, and we want to continue working for safe and healthy space, which
includes COVID-19. It will also amplify the social justice issues within the play and
their relationship to today’s society, especially as many of us are at home experiencing
these events unfold via the internet.

This production will also continue to be produced as our primarily student-designed

production. We believe that by utilizing online platforms we can uplift our core values of
equitable access and education. No longer are we working within the confines of our seat
count, travel restrictions, evening performance times, or standard production budget; all
meaning that our shows can reach a broader audience at a lower cost. We also think that
this will be a brilliant opportunity to educate our students on online performance software
giving them the skill and experience that the entertainment industry, and likely others,
will require for the years to come.

In addition, ​Mixed Nuts, w ​ ill follow similar lines. With this play, a simple but enchanting
farce, we felt that this play wouldn’t be lost in a livestream. The production will be
filmed on our stage, with masked actors or unmasked and socially distant actors. Access
will be granted online as normal online tickets are distributed except tickets will give you
an access code to the live stream. Our main reason for this change was primarily health
and safety but we also believe the access to this kind of delivery might be the way of the
future and any forward thinking ideas are worth a shot. Casting/rehearsal will go on as
planned with proper testing/vetting taking place to keep everyone involved safe. As
mentioned above a new perspective might give our students/audience the inspiration they
need to bring the love of this art form closer to their generation.
Bibliography

“ASC SafeStart Visitor's Guide.” ​American Shakespeare Center​,

americanshakespearecenter.com/asc-safestart/.

This is a guide for patrons coming to the ASC on what procedures are for in person performances. If we
made the decision to have patrons come to our theatre in person, this is something we could use to form
our own policies, as well how to set up our website to make it easy for patrons to use.

American Shakespeare Center COVID-19 Process through Samantha

One of our team members has experience with the ticketing and box office side of the COVID pandemic.
We are able to reference her knowledge to create the best environment for our patrons.

3) “COVID-19 Information for Producers.” ​COVID-19 Information for Producers · Actors' Equity
Association​, actorsequity.org/resources/Producers/covid19-info/.

These are links to PDFs about how theaters producing shows with equity actors should go about
performing. However, this is not as important to our company, because we are working with non-equity
actors.

Masked Collective Rehearsal and Performance Process through Andrew

One of our team members was able to do a production through this theater company. We will be able to
use them as a reference for our digital rehearsal and performance process.

Our Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19),​

www.waynetheatre.org/our-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19.

This webpage can help guide us, when we actually do in person performances again. Since this pandemic
may have lasting effects, we will have references to other theaters that have brought patrons back to their
theater.

“The Sweet Tea Shakespeare Hours.” ​Sweet Tea Shakespeare​, www.sweetteashakespeare.com/hours/.

This is a guide to where their performances can be streamed. One of our members has personal
experience with their zoom productions (currently a part of one). This gives us insight as to how to run
and work a production through the platform of zoom.

Wayne Theatre Rehearsal through Camilo

We have one of team members currently in a production with this theater company, and we are able to
learn more about in person rehearsal and performances from their own experience.