No vaccine, no show

[YouOverThere]

On 7/30/2021 at 3:15 PM, canbelto said:

Just got the email. NYCB will be requiring vaccinations in order to attend.

 

The NYCB is not alone. Most Broadway shows will also require proof of vaccination, as will Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera, both of which will also ban under12's.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/theater/broadway-audiences-vaccine-requirement.html?smtyp=cur&smid=fb-nytimes&fbclid=IwAR1Sw20kK-u1BtR3KutB24Kg84N_Hxq0ERpty7-dlOJsVy7YjnwyBBQMjXc

[California]

DC  area theaters just announced by e-mail that proof of vaccination and masks will be required through December 31, 2021. (Note that the Kennedy Center is not included on this list.)

IMPORTANT: Vaccinations Required for all shows

Dear ...,

Theatres across the greater Washington, D.C. area have united to provide the highest level of public safety for their audiences, staff, and volunteers by requiring that their audiences provide proof of vaccination to attend all live public performances at their indoor venues.

Shakespeare Theatre Company is partnering in this unprecedented effort with Arena Stage, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Constellation Theatre Company, GALA Hispanic Theatre, The Keegan Theatre, Mosaic Theater Company, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Synetic Theater, Theater J, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

These organizations are committed to the safety of all who work, perform, and visit our venues, and invite audiences to join in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Visit STC's Health and Safety page for more information.

Theatre Washington, the area’s alliance of theatre organizations, theatre-makers, and theatre supporters, will serve as a hub of information for participating venues and their vaccination requirement policies.

 

---

Attending a show

 

Patrons must be able to show proof that they are fully vaccinated at the time of their entry into the theatres through December 2021. This end date is subject to change and will be re-reviewed by aligned venues in October. Masks will also be required for audience members inside the theatre, except while eating or drinking in designated locations.

"Fully vaccinated" means that either 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose of FDA or WHO authorized double-dose vaccines or that 14 days have passed since receiving the sole dose of FDA or WHO authorized single-dose vaccines.

Entrance to any event at STC will require proof of vaccination, or, for those who are not vaccinated, proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the performance start time.

STC will accept ANY ONE of the following methods for proving vaccination, along with a photo ID:

• Physical vaccination card
• CLEAR app Health Pass
• Digital vaccination cards through your home Health Department (check with your state/county’s Health Department if not listed here): D.C. Residents  Maryland Residents  Virginia Residents
• Photo of vaccination card

 

EXEMPTIONS: Patrons who need a reasonable accommodation for medical reasons or due to a sincerely held religious belief, and children under the age of 12 must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours prior to entering the theatre. Proof will be accepted in the following forms:

• Physical negative test result
• Email from a test provider verifying negative test result
• App verifying negative test result

For their own safety, children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre.

If you have any questions or concerns about complying with these new rules, please contact the Box Office at 202.547.1122 or STCBox@ShakespeareTheatre.org.

 

---

Get Vaccinated

 

STC encourages all eligible patrons to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are free, safe, and effective, and currently available for everyone ages 12 and older. For more information about the vaccine or how to schedule a vaccine appointment, please visit one of the links below:

D.C. Residents  

Maryland Residents

Virginia Residents 

Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Edited August 5, 2021 by California

[YouOverThere]

1 hour ago, California said:

DC  area theaters just announced by e-mail that proof of vaccination and masks will be required through December 31, 2021. (Note that the Kennedy Center is not included on this list.)

 

More importantly, the Warner Theater (Washington Ballet Nutcracker) is not on the list.

Edited August 5, 2021 by YouOverThere

[YouOverThere]

With the situation as it currently is in the DC area, I probably would attend a concert or show that didn't require vaccination if it was something that I really wanted to see. However, there is no chance that I would go to an indoor event in a theater that didn't require masks.

[YouOverThere]

The Kennedy Center will require both vaccinations and masks as of September 1. Under 12's and those not able to get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons must have a recent negative test.

[maps]

 The John F. Kennedy Center and Fords Theatre will require proof of vaccination beginning Sept. 1 - The Washington Post

We might have attended shows in June-July with podding but Wolf Trap's Filene Center and the Kennedy Center [outdoors or indoors] presented zero ballet beyond the 1 sold out podded WT school show.  That had about 26% available under the roof.  

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by maps
pods+comps

[nanushka]

The Atlantic reports on "an array of new polls" showing that "the vaccinated, across party lines, have kind of had it with the unvaccinated":

Quote

These new results, shared exclusively with The Atlantic by several pollsters, reveal that significant majorities of people who have been vaccinated support vaccine mandates for health workers, government employees, college students, and airline travelers—even, in some surveys, for all Americans or all private-sector workers. Most of the vaccinated respondents also say that entry to entertainment and sporting arenas should require proof of vaccination, and half say the same about restaurants.

 

[canbelto]

Laura Osnes was fired by Crazy for You for refusing to get vaccinated.

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/12/broadway-superstar-laura-osnes-fired-from-show-for-not-being-vaccinated/?fbclid=IwAR2DTiAe2JRFnka9PMwmaDtXotNB1PRnoOoxIm2rb2DWLTRuEzSO9MM52vA

I expect that arts companies will have similar vaccine requirements.

[canbelto]

In this interview Jonathan Stafford is very explicit that all NYCB employees must be vaccinated:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/arts/dance/artistic-directors-meet-during-pandemic.html

Quote

STAFFORD That kicked us in the butt a bit and we thought, OK, we have to make this happen. We have also talked a lot about testing and vaccinations. City Ballet is mandating vaccinations for our employees and it helped to have support from other dance companies and know that we weren’t an outlier. There isn’t going to be a unified policy here, but it was very helpful to share.

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by canbelto

[Roberta]

Contacted Kennedy Center about acceptable proof-of-vaccination documentation to enter the theatre. I was informed that showing my CDC card (actual or clear photo)  + official ID (such as driver's license or passport)  is good. Theatre staff will be checking that names on the CDC cards and IDs/names match, as well as your face & the face on the ID card. This will happen at an entry point into the theatre, such as front doors from the plaza or doors at each parking level.  This is different from the line to enter each auditorium, where one shows the ticket. Allow time for both checkpoints.

[Helene]

PNB is joining a number of other arts organizations in Seattle in requiring full vaccination and (mostly) masks in the theater for Fall 2021.  According to their press release, they will announce Nutcracker precautions closer to actual performances.  The requirements in the press release, email, and website are:

* Proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test with 48 hours, or a negative antigen test within 24 hours

* ID

* Valid ticket

Masks are required except when eating or drinking.

Quote

 

“PNB’s upcoming 2021-22 season, launching September 24, will be our first in-person season since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Executive Director Ellen Walker. “The safety of PNB’s artists, staff, and audiences continues to be our first priority. PNB’s artists and crew have been filming safely in-person since March 2020, and we are thrilled to evolve our safety plans to include in-person audiences. Multiple surveys confirm that our ticket-buyers overwhelmingly want to return to McCaw Hall, but with as many health and safety protocols in place as possible.”                                                           

PNB’s mask and vaccination mandates will be in place for its return to performances in McCaw Hall during its upcoming Rep 1 (September 24 – 26) and Rep 2 (November 5 – 7). Additional safety features at McCaw Hall include top-of-the-line MERV 13 filters and running 100% fresh air circulation for all events. Attendance numbers will follow State and CDC guidelines for large indoor events. Capacity will be limited and social distancing measures will be taken in seating. Safety precautions for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and performances in 2022 will be announced soon and will continue to evolve over time in direct response to the pandemic.

 

I'm trying to remember which organization specified that masks must cover both nose and mouth.

[nanushka]

8 minutes ago, Helene said:

PNB is joining a number of other arts organizations in Seattle in requiring full vaccination and (mostly) masks in the theater for Fall 2021.

I hope we see more of this. It may be the only way for performances to continue throughout the coming seasons, unless the broader situation takes a significant turn for the better.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

15 hours ago, Helene said:

I'm trying to remember which organization specified that masks must cover both nose and mouth.

San Fransisco Ballet's Covid-19 Safety Protocols don't specify that masks must cover both the nose and mouth, but they are very specific about the kind of masks that are permitted:

MASKS
Currently, all patrons will be required to wear a mask. Masks with a valve, gaiters, scarves, etc are not permitted. Audience members who fail to follow the Front of House safety protocols will be promptly removed from the performance venue.

I hope more venues will be similarly rigorous about what counts as a mask. If I were house management I'd make sure there was some money in the budget for a supply of masks to hand out to any audience member that needs one, whether it's because they lost their own mask or it failed in some way (broken ear loop, e.g.), or because they forgot to bring one, or because the one they arrived with doesn't comply with the rules. Heck, sell souvenir masks with the company's logo or performance-themed art on them in a gift shop kiosk by the entrance. A tasteful Edward Gorey Lavender Leotard Mask might be fun.

[Barbara]

Yes, yes to all you said! Especially the Edward Gorey mask! 

Edited August 19, 2021 by Barbara

[volcanohunter]

The Joffrey Ballet will require spectators aged 12 and older to show proof of vaccination. The Lyric Opera of Chicago will require proof of vaccination from all audience members; children under 12 cannot attend. The Harris Theater will require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test.

Lyric Opera of Chicago specifies that masks "worn properly over the nose and mouth, will be required for all patrons for the duration of their time in the opera house."

Edited August 19, 2021 by volcanohunter

[Helene]

2 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

A tasteful Edward Gorey Lavender Leotard Mask might be fun.

That would be sweet!  Especially if it were printed on a KN95 mask.

[sandik]

I'm seeing an interesting phrase in many of these announcements -- "closely held religious beliefs."  Has anyone else seen this turn of phrase in local announcements?  I'm wondering what that might entail, and how one would prove it as you filed into the theater.

[nanushka]

4 minutes ago, sandik said:

I'm seeing an interesting phrase in many of these announcements -- "closely held religious beliefs."  Has anyone else seen this turn of phrase in local announcements?  I'm wondering what that might entail, and how one would prove it as you filed into the theater.

Maybe they’d ask for a letter from a religious leader? (Is the burden on the individual to follow up and find that out?) Otherwise yeah, I don’t know.

[Helene]

No organization (so far) is asking for proof of "closely held religious beliefs" or a medical condition that prevents someone from getting one of the offered vaccines.  (HIPAA only applies to hospitals and medical professionals.) It is a performative phrase of assuming good faith on the part of anyone who is eligible for vaccination, but has either not chosen to get the vaccine for any reason, or has been unable get to the vaccine and to whom no one has gotten it.

Not all people with "closely help religious beliefs" are part of a congregation/are affiliated with clergy, and not all people agree with their clergymen or with the very top of their religious hierarchy.  Some workplaces have asked for a letter from clergy, but it will be interesting to see how many governments could require that letter for government employees and for it to be considered constitutional.

[pherank]

Just how close must I hold them?  😉

[Balletwannabe]

For school the religious exemption is a simple form.  No one questions parents decisions and no explanation is needed.  

[canbelto]

4 hours ago, Balletwannabe said:

For school the religious exemption is a simple form.  No one questions parents decisions and no explanation is needed.  

That's actually not true. In my school vaccines are mandatory for extracurricular activities and field trips. You must bring a doctor's note on why you cannot get the vaccine. Religious exemptions are not being accepted at this time.

[Balletwannabe]

11 minutes ago, canbelto said:

That's actually not true. In my school vaccines are mandatory for extracurricular activities and field trips. You must bring a doctor's note on why you cannot get the vaccine. Religious exemptions are not being accepted at this time.

Ok..so it's not true for your area.  This is how it works in my state.  

 

[maps]

3 hours ago, canbelto said:

That's actually not true. In my school vaccines are mandatory for extracurricular activities and field trips. You must bring a doctor's note on why you cannot get the vaccine. Religious exemptions are not being accepted at this time.

PNB has language on it's site about social distancing in audience seating.  That reduces capacity.  Health & Safety Policies | Plan Your Visit | Pacific Northwest Ballet (pnb.org)   Perhaps it's best to make your own pod wherever you attend performances.  Safety ranking highest to lowest: PNB  Koch KC.

One issue with schools is social distancing so applying the same concept to a theatre seems valid.   Example  Dozens Of NYC Public School Buildings May Not Be Able To Fit Their Students At 3 Feet Apart This Fall - Gothamist

Edited August 22, 2021 by maps

[canbelto]

Just mandated across the board for everyone who works in the NYC Dept of Education. I expect that across the board mandates for employment will become the norm.