Page 3 - Boca Club News - August '20

Boca Club News, Page 3

What South Florida Theater Will Look Like from page 1

“Now we know that for month, she’s now expecting it will be January before she can
some, especially for those mount full musicals again.
who have underlying health Several theaters, such as Island City Stage in Wilton
conditions, it’s going to be a Manors, have conducted surveys of their subscribers, most
tough sell and we fully realize with the same results: about 30 percent won’t come back until
that. But our position has a vaccine is available, about 40 percent say it depends on the
been that we want to be on safety measures and the feeling of being in the space, and 30
the forefront, we want to lead percent say they want to come back tomorrow. Marilynn Wick
the charge in returning to has seen that first hand. Some patrons have been returning
normal because the longer we week after week to the Wick’s changing cabaret fare. She
continue to go through this, has sold out several shows with a 50-person capacity. “When
the habits once established they leave, they say ‘I had such a fabulous time. I can’t wait
are hard to break and we are for the theater to open,’” she said.
deeply invested in keeping Measures for Measures. Almost all of the plans
the art of live theater, live examined for this story include obvious common measures
cultural experiences going,” now and for when they reopen:
said Fields. —Staff wearing masks anytime they are within six feet of
His company, which anyone before, during and after performances, in the office,
received the county’s approval, Theater owners are planning smart, safe ways to fill their seats. backstage, in the lobby.
had planned to reopen July —Hand sanitizer dispensers will be ubiquitous throughout
10 with a film series in its auditorium, but the Miami-Dade has been sliced in half if not more. Even before reopening, the facility, but especially in the lobbies.
County mayor ordered all venues to close last week when Fantasy Theater Factory estimated it has spent $15,000 —Extensive cleanings with alcohol-based wipes or sprays
positive test numbers rose. including $5,400 for a company to provide ultra-deep containing at least 70% alcohol before, during and after
To see videos depicting safety measures being taken, cleaning to every inch of the facility. performances of any surface likely to be touched, from door
for the Wick Theatre, go to: https://www.youtube.com/ The Broward Center is studying “changes we might make handles to elevator buttons.
watch?v=rjVnGKHLttA , and for The Foundry, go to: https:// to the HVAC system to provide additional mitigation for air —Staff in some venues will be expected to wash their hands,
vimeo.com/437022608. flow and transmission by air,” Shanley said. “We’ve looked in some cases once an hour no matter what, and every half-
None of the plans are one-size-fits-all prescriptions for at a variety of solutions. Most of them are not inexpensive. hour if they deal directly with public, such as box office
all venues, although they often are derived from the same That’s something we’re evaluating right now and kind of workers and ushers.
county guidelines and advice from the Centers for Disease waiting to see the science get a little bit further on it and be —Establishing training and support programs for staff.
Control and Prevention, and Occupational Safety and a little bit more definitive before we make a decision, but the —Encouraging staff to work from home and limiting on-site
Health Administration. The consortium report in particular costs of these mitigation measures are going to be significant.” work to what is absolutely necessary.
is wide-ranging so that individual centers can choose While some theaters have privately been criticized for Some changes in the theater-going experience will be
recommendations that fit their situation. trying to open already, some see the decision as a matter of easy to spot: Fantasy Theater Factory has taped off the water
The Broward Center preparations and underlying survival, not so much economic but as far as staying in their fountains. Show programs may be offered in advance (or after
philosophies have been developed with the Cleveland Clinic patrons’ mindset. the show) by email or stacked in one location for patrons to
“giving us the best and latest information and guidance about “It was a do or die moment, life or death moment,” pick up in their own; they will not be given out by the ushers.
how to safely do the things we want to do,” said Kelley said playwright-producer-actor Ronnie Larsen, who was Others won’t be obvious: Swapping out their standard air
Shanley, president and CEO. “I can’t imagine doing this presenting Jennifer McClain’s one-woman autobiographical conditioning filters for the hospital-grade MERV filters, even
without them.” musical in The Foundry, where he stages most of his shows. those in the vacuum cleaners. The Wick has upgraded its air
It’s not just the line by line list of mitigation efforts, he As a for-profit company, bringing in some revenue, even conditioning system to recirculate all the air in the facility
said, but the attitude for the long haul while still moving from a handful of patrons, can help offset the continuing rent once an hour.
forward. “One of the most important things they said to us, payments. There’s also the goal trying to keep the genre alive Some efforts will result in customers being turned
and it goes beyond the Broward Center and even our industry, while rigorously protecting his audience. But “I’d rather do away. At Fantasy, everyone must allow their forehead to be
is we need to learn how to live with the virus and (how) we five people a night than have it be empty and collect dust.” scanned with a thermometer or be refused entry. Any patron
can function in our lives in a safe manner. You don’t have to The Wick was one of the last theaters to close and last with a reading more than 99.6 degrees will be turned away.
stay holed up in our houses. And that was the most comforting month became one of the first to reopen with a series of Any employee with that reading will be sent home to work.
thing I heard from them. That made me feel a little bit more weekend cabaret and dinner programs in its large lobby. Fantasy brings in many outside events, so actors topping
confident about attempting to start to reopen certain parts of Executive Managing Producer Marilynn Wick echoed that temperature will be barred entry and the event will be
our business. But, of course, you have to do it safely. You Larsen’s profound commitment to keeping patrons safe. cancelled or rescheduled.
can’t just do it.” Measures range from dinner being served under plastic covers Indeed, one of the issues that will be quietly discussed
Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties are requiring to cabaret performers using separate microphones. over the coming months is how to diplomatically but firmly
theaters to submit such plans for their administrations’ Reiterating safety as a priority, Wick said, “We’re trying handle patrons who refuse to follow the restrictions.
approval before allowing them to reopen. Very few have to entertain people (but also)… we absolutely want to stay
done so. These efforts bring an added expense in preparation open and in front of them. We don’t want them to forget about What South Florida Theater Will Look Like on page 4
as well as subsequent running costs at a time when revenue us.” Although she plans to continue small presentations next
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