SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Theaters and arts programs survive on events and generous donations, but events are canceled across the country and venues have closed. In Sacramento and beyond, refunds threaten the already unsteady position of many of these arts programs.
"It's such a strange time," said Michael Stevenson, producing artistic director at Capital Stage. "In my life, I can't recall where everybody was affected. Usually, there's like, an arts institution in trouble. People band together and give. But it's everybody, so it's a strange time."
Like recent changes in general, the adjustment for theaters can be described in one word: abrupt.
At Capital Stage, Stevenson says the company was already mid-swing in their production of 'Admissions.'
"We had done three weeks of rehearsal and gotten the first show up in front of an audience, and then we had to cancel the rest of the shows," Stevenson said.
From the start of bans on gatherings to social distancing, things moved fast.
"We kept [the actors] around for a while — hoping that things would ease up, or that we could do a video of the show and distribute that for people who haven’t been able to see it," Stevenson explained. "But things just got really crazy, really quick."
For Sacramento's Teatro Nagual, the decision to close the doors on the next performance came from overseas.
The theater was in the midst of final preparations for their upcoming show, 'Burnt Tortillas.' The play is about Bishop Gallegos, a well-known Mexican-American bishop who died tragically in 1991.
Father Eliseo, a friend of the bishop, was set to enjoy the performance when his own community in Spain was affected by lockdowns and cancellations.
"Father Eliseo in Spain got a hold of us and said 'You know, Richard, I'm going to have to cancel my flight to come out there and be a part of this show with you, because of everything that's going on in Spain,'" recalled Richard Falcón, director and founder of Teatro Nagual.
After that phone call, Falcón said the theater decided to postpone.
"The number of our population at any of these shows was more primarily Latinx seniors," Falcón said. "We felt that… there was a risk factor in there."
It's true that most live theater goers skew older in age, though that number has been changing for some theater companies as of late.
Theater events also bring local and tourist attraction to nearby businesses and employ hundreds of people, from ticketing and sales to custodial services.
While the theaters themselves struggle to stay afloat during this hiatus, the performers, technicians, and every other employee that is involved in keeping the show alive are suddenly out of a job.
According to David Pier, executive director of the Harris Center at Folsom Lake College, performance theaters have "a strong positive ripple effect in the local economy."
"As many of the artists we work with are currently on national or international tours, their travel plans are tied to appearances at venues across the country and around the world," Pier said. "A change in one leg of a tour often disrupts the entire tour."
At Teatro Nagual, there is an additional concern for their vibrant youth and social justice programs. The theater coordinates different types of shows and even street theater.
"Well, now in light of COVID-19, we can't do that anymore," Falcón said. "So, what we're doing, we're taking a look and seeing how we can do digital contact, bringing our messages — of immigration, of environmental justice, of voter education, of the Census — to the people through social media outlets and hopefully, when people see that, they'll make donations."
Donations are a great way to help a struggling theater or arts program stay afloat. With so many aspects of live performance on hiatus until further notice, there are several ways to support your local arts establishment
"One of the long term things that has been done already by the majority of our population, those who bought tickets ahead of time all opted to have us hold on to the monies, so that it can be used for purchasing tickets of the future production," Falcón said. "We're very excited about that and it just speaks volumes about the support that the people are offering us."
Falcón says that when the theater announced it would be refunding tickets, only three opted for the refund because they couldn't make the later date. The rest are putting holding on to their tickets until the next show.
Unfortunately, it is not until a show is released that theaters actually see that money.
This is why some advocates have been calling on the government to support the arts in a similar way to The Federal Arts Project, sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Not only would this help supplement artists' income, but can also provide a much needed morale boost to the general public.
"I have a lot of faith and I have a lot of hope," Falcón said. "If anything, that is what social justice has taught me, that you never give up."
Even with all current events on pause, theaters still have plans to make.
"On the flip side, we also are currently deep in the planning and preparations for the 2020-2021 season ahead of us, which will be the Center’s 10th Anniversary Season, and this exciting work continues uninterrupted," Pier said.
As such, all they can do is look to the future.
"With that, I believe that we will get passed this and in years to come we will be able to return back to that time when we can gather again and celebrate our arts together," Falcón said. "In the meantime, we're going to keep plugging away and making new ways for people to enjoy and be empowered to be hopeful about the future through the arts."
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