We Shut Down Our Theatre for 25 Days — and Why I’m Okay With That, Part 2

On Tuesday, March 10, we were contacted by one of the high schools scheduled to bring 150 students to see Hamlet that Friday.

“Would there be a financial penalty if they decided to not come to the show?” I told them no, we have a long-standing relationship, and there would be no penalty. I assured them that we were cleaning vigilantly, and if they were comfortable with their students being at school, I felt that we were doing as good of a job, if not better, with keeping Gamut to a high standard.

My mind started racing to the task of disinfecting 150 seats between the Hamlet student matinee and the public showing of An Enemy of the People that same day and what the best way would be to do that. That morning I had stopped by the grocery store to pick up more Clorox wipes and the shelves were empty. I was so glad I had picked up extra the week before. We would be good for the weekend.

By Wednesday, March 11, our good friend from Connecticut called to tell us she would not be able to make it to town to see the show. Traveling at this time was not prudent. As I sat in rehearsal directing our Young Acting Company production of Cinderella, a show with 50 students ages 6-18 who live in a five-county area, we got the news that Penn State University was closing all of its campuses and switching to online classes.

Despite the fact that we review best practices for hygiene at the beginning of each Young Acting Company rehearsal, I watched that night as one student accidentally sneezed into his hand instead of the crook of his arm. I stopped rehearsal and made him get a sanitizing wipe. I separated two girls who were playing with each other’s hair. I realized I was watching the kids in the audience as much as, if not more, than the work that was happening on the stage.

After rehearsal, I helped stage management with the arduous task of wiping down every mask and prop that was handled that evening, and it hit me: this was no longer a matter of IF we would close the theatre, but WHEN; something I had known in my heart for several weeks, but had finally articulated in my mind.

A four-part profile of the challenges posed to arts organizations by COVID-19

Part 2 of 4
By Melissa Nicholson, Executive Director, Gamut Theatre, Harrisburg, PA

Photo of Keystone Theatrics/The Playhouse at Allenberry. Photo credit: Marc Faubel: ERFotos 2020

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