Broadway theaters will be allowed to withdraw their mask obligations from 1 July. The Broadway League was announced on Tuesday.
The league described the new policy as a “mask option” and said it would be reassessed monthly.
“Our theater owners have been monitoring protocols, hospital admissions, and no problems across the country where tours are barely masked. They’re time to give it a try. I decided that it was, “said the Broadway League. “This is not an easy decision. Many people want to wear a mask, but many still want to wear one. We encourage people who are concerned about wearing a mask. “
St. Martin said theater owners are welcome to meet weekly to assess their health and reassign missions as needed. “We’re going to see what happens,” she said.
Broadway has maintained a fairly restrictive audience policy since the theater reopened last summer. The theater requires regular customers to show proof of vaccination until April 30 and continues to require regular customers to wear masks except while eating or drinking.
Broadway’s public health protocol plays a huge role in the performing arts, as many other institutions derive clues from the Grand Theatre. Broadway theaters imposed vaccination obligations before New York City did the same at restaurants, gyms and other indoor performances, and maintained the rules long after the city stopped demanding them.
Wearing a mask has become part of the theater experience this season. An employee waving a sign walked down the aisle, reminding patrons of the requirements. Also, a reminder to wear a mask has been added to the usual pre-show announcements about turning off mobile phones and banning photos. When the theater first reopened, some did not sell food or drink to avoid interfering with wearing masks. The consumption of light meals provides a noticeable loophole for those who dislike wearing masks.
Several other performing arts venues, including many Off Broadway theaters, continue to seek vaccination certification and mask mandates, and New York public transport I need Compliance is reduced, but mask indoors. However, many other corners of society, including domestic air travel, have withdrawn their mask obligations and the city’s condition seems to be improving. Mayor Erik Adams said Tuesday that the city’s Covid-19 alert level had moved from high to medium.
Currently, 27 shows are being performed in 41 Broadway theaters.
The four nonprofits that run six Broadway homes have been vaccinated longer than the commercial owners who run the majority of theaters. However, no nonprofits are currently performing on Broadway, and there are no plans to resume production on Broadway until Labor Day is over.
Roundabout Theater Company, which plans to launch Broadway’s revival “1776” in September, evaluates the protocol monthly, according to spokeswoman Jessica Johnson, saying it’s too early to set rules this fall. intend to do something. Nonprofits continue to maintain the current Off-Broadway Show Maskman Date.
Other nonprofits operating on Broadway, scheduled to launch the show in the fall, said it was premature to know what their safety protocol would be at that time.
As expected, the public reaction to the mask option policy was polarized, with some cheering for what they saw as a delinquent step and others ruining what they considered reckless.
Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, a Tony voter and frequent Broadway professor of theater studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said he would continue to wear masks while watching the show. “When people are crowded, it’s important to control the flow of airborne bacteria when you don’t know what the long-term effects of Covid will be,” he said.
