Arts groups give health and safety top billing in light of new PHO restrictions
The shows will go on—some in new ways in response to Dr. Bonnie Henry’s newest directions
Intimate, physically distanced live shows, with full COVID-19 health and safety measures in place, are still a go for the Chutzpah! Festival, hosted by Iris Bahr.
WITH THE LATEST order from the Provincial Health Officer, organizations of all kinds are pivoting in response to the pandemic—including arts groups.
The official PHO wording goes like this: all individuals, places of work, and businesses within the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions must significantly reduce social interactions and travel until noon on November 23. (The order came into effect November 7.) Businesses, recreation centres, or other venues that organize or operate indoor group physical activities must suspend these activities.
While movie theatres are permitted to stay open, there is no distinct wording for theatres. Those that have re-opened for physically distanced events have rigorous COVID-19 protocols in place. Consider the Massey Theatre, which has been hosting concerts for 50 ticket-holders—in its space of 1,260 seats.
Still, some local organizations are changing plans regardless.
Re-Space, a collaborative performance among Ballet BC, the Polygon Gallery, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, for example, was scheduled to take place at the North Vancouver venue November 20 to 22. It has been postponed indefinitely.
“While we are incredibly excited for you to see what we have created together, the health and safety of our patrons, as well as the artists and staff involved, is of utmost importance,” the three organizations shared in a joint message to winners of the lottery-ticket system that was in place for the show. “The past few weeks, as we have moved into the final stage of creation for this site-specific world premiere, have proven to us once again that collaboration is at the heart of live performance. We know you miss the live arts as much as we do! We look so forward to welcoming our audiences back into direct relationship with our work as soon as we are safely able to do so.”
The Polygon Gallery, meanwhile, remains open.
A new date will be announced for Re-Space, a collaborative performance among Ballet BC, the Polygon Gallery, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
The world premiere of Co.ERASGA’s Offering, which was to take place at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre, is now running at the Anvil Centre in New West on November 28 and 29. The 3 pm performances will be live and livestreamed.
Intimate, physically distanced live shows are still a go for the Chutzpah! Festival. Its performances at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre featuring Idan Cohen/Ne. Sans opera and dance’s world premiere of Hourglass (November 25) and the Closing Night Comedy Event (November 28) will proceed in accordance with the new advisory, following all COVID-19 protocols.
However, due to travel restrictions, klezmer musician Ben Caplan’s concert will now be performed, recorded, and streamed live from his Ottawa studio. It will include an artist interview with festival host Iris Bahr (in her Shosh character). (Ticket holders will be offered an exchange for virtual tickets for the online performance, with a refund for the difference in price.)
The Firehall Arts Centre announced on November 10 that in light of the new recommendations, it has reviewed its well-thought out safety plan and is proceeding with live shows with full COVID-19 protocols, which the theatre implemented in July. Among other measures, it is allowing staggered seating of no more than 40 in its ventilated space with a maximum group size of four sitting together, provided they share a bubble. (The Amaryllis runs November 12 to 22.)
The popular musical do you want what i have got? a craigslist cantata is being livestreamed from the Cultch’s Historic Theatre. The virtual format had been in place before the recent orders came into effect, but now cast members have shifted to performing from separate rooms on camera.
“It's interesting that social get-togethers are gone but restaurants, movie theatres, and theatres are open,” said Heather Redfern, executive director of the Cultch. “The reasoning around it, if you're a health professional, is that those places have protocols in place, and when you let your guard down is in your own space at home. That’s the message: that our homes are not the place that's safe. But we can't wrap our heads around that.”
“We know theatres are not super spreaders,” added a craigslist cantata writer-director Amiel Gladstone, "but we need to be as rigorous as we can be.”
For the most recent updates on local venues and performances, check individual company websites.
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