NY ENTERTAINMENT VENUES TO OPEN AT 33%
FTC Reporter Alex Agudelo reveals how the April 2nd announcement from Governor Cuomo will affect the FTC Theatre program.
By Alex Agudelo
The FTC theater program will soon be reopening. They will have three upcoming productions, which include Men on Boats (April 30th-May 1st), Glengarry Glen Ross (May 7th-8th in the Studio Theatre), and Drowsy Chaperone (May 21st-23rd). Dr. David Krasner, Professor and Chair of Theatre at Five Towns College, said the reopening of the venue is a “Great start, and very helpful for us (Five Town Theater Program) because we could do 33%. We don't depend on paying our actors. Reopening is what we want. It is the very thing we need to do. I think they (students) will be very pleased. We will be opening up, doing shows, and we will have audiences.” He is unsure when there will be an audience but hopes “to make a decision by April 15th.”
On April 2nd, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo held a press conference to announce that as infection rates have been dropping, New York is reopening entertainment venues to 33% capacity. Governor Cuomo said, “Attendees will need to follow strict guidance to keep themselves and others safe, but they'll now be able to watch world-class performances and take part in our state's thriving arts and culture scene once again. I encourage New Yorkers to get tested before attending events and to use Excelsior Pass to show venues that they've been vaccinated or tested before entering performance spaces.”
Venues can have up to 100 people indoors or 200 people outdoors without the need to provide proof of negative test results or COVID-19 vaccinations. At venues where all guests can provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative test before entry, the capacity limits increase to 150 people indoors or 500 people outdoors.
Dr. Krasner’s shared his thoughts on what the reopening would mean for the New York City theatre scene. “For Broadway, the 33% is not feasible because you can't pay the actors, the stage managers, and the technicians, with a 33% audience. So, Broadway is not going to open with 33%. Small venu