Theaters Face Difficulties, As Businesses Open Up
2020-05-09
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Theaters are expecting difficulties in coming back from coronavirus-related restrictions and closures.
2As businesses begin to open around the world, the path forward for theater is unclear.
3This is especially true for large-scale musicals and dramas.
4Live theater, with its high costs and large numbers of people, may not be the same for some time, producers and actors say.
5Mary McColl is the executive director of the actors' labor union Equity in the United States.
6Speaking with the Reuters news agency, she described the health concerns of doing live theater.
7"When we cry, there are tears, sometimes our noses run. Sometimes when we sing or are yelling, we spit and that lands on other actors, or it might land on the orchestra pit. And we are doing that eight times a week," she said.
8New York City's Broadway theaters closed in the middle of March. London's West End theaters followed a few days later.
9Almost no one expects them to reopen when the current closure period ends on June 7 and June 28, respectively.
10Jessica Koravos is president of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.
11"We are very tied to social distancing measures," she said.
12"As long as they are still in place, a mainstream return to theater and musical theater, in particular, looks pretty impossible."
13In April, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 27 percent of those questioned would go to a theater performance when theaters reopen.
14Some 51 percent said live theater should not return at all before a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available.
15However, the theater world wants to get going before then.
16The U.S. office of Equity has asked a disease control expert to develop guidelines for actors and other people who work on plays.
17In addition, people are thinking about what kinds of plays would work best for taking theatrical productions out of traditional spaces.
18Brian Moreland is producer of the upcoming Broadway shows "American Buffalo" and "Blue."
19"I don't think theater will go away. I just think it will be different when it comes back," he said.
20Theaters may be dark, but online rehearsals are continuing.
21Broadway producer and investor Brisa Trinchero is hopeful.
22She said writers are working on new kinds of theater productions and some companies are looking to do one-person shows.
23"We are an industry of creative people," she said.
24Trinchero added that there would likely be an increase in "smaller performance pieces, cabaret" and what she called more intimate things.
25Musicals are likely to be the last to come back. Musicals have large casts and crews.
26They are also more costly.
27Shows with one or two actors might work for some.
28So might a plan to limit theaters to 50 percent capacity.
29But for big musicals, "it wouldn't be possible commercially to survive on those audience levels," said Koravos.
30Even with many issues to resolve, the theatre community is more hopeful than a month ago.
31It believes that the coronavirus-related restrictions have showed the value of human connection and live performances.
32"People are now talking about what it looks like on the other side and three to four weeks ago we weren't prepared to have this conversation," Moreland said.
33"So that makes me very hopeful."
34I'm John Russell.
1Theaters are expecting difficulties in coming back from coronavirus-related restrictions and closures. 2As businesses begin to open around the world, the path forward for theater is unclear. This is especially true for large-scale musicals and dramas. 3Live theater, with its high costs and large numbers of people, may not be the same for some time, producers and actors say. 4Mary McColl is the executive director of the actors' labor union Equity in the United States. 5Speaking with the Reuters news agency, she described the health concerns of doing live theater. 6"When we cry, there are tears, sometimes our noses run. Sometimes when we sing or are yelling, we spit and that lands on other actors, or it might land on the orchestra pit. And we are doing that eight times a week," she said. 7New York City's Broadway theaters closed in the middle of March. London's West End theaters followed a few days later. Almost no one expects them to reopen when the current closure period ends on June 7 and June 28, respectively. 8Jessica Koravos is president of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group. 9"We are very tied to social distancing measures," she said. "As long as they are still in place, a mainstream return to theater and musical theater, in particular, looks pretty impossible." 10In April, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 27 percent of those questioned would go to a theater performance when theaters reopen. Some 51 percent said live theater should not return at all before a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available. 11However, the theater world wants to get going before then. 12The U.S. office of Equity has asked a disease control expert to develop guidelines for actors and other people who work on plays. 13In addition, people are thinking about what kinds of plays would work best for taking theatrical productions out of traditional spaces. 14Brian Moreland is producer of the upcoming Broadway shows "American Buffalo" and "Blue." 15"I don't think theater will go away. I just think it will be different when it comes back," he said. 16Theaters may be dark, but online rehearsals are continuing. 17Broadway producer and investor Brisa Trinchero is hopeful. 18She said writers are working on new kinds of theater productions and some companies are looking to do one-person shows. 19"We are an industry of creative people," she said. 20Trinchero added that there would likely be an increase in "smaller performance pieces, cabaret" and what she called more intimate things. 21Musicals are likely to be the last to come back. Musicals have large casts and crews. They are also more costly. 22Shows with one or two actors might work for some. So might a plan to limit theaters to 50 percent capacity. 23But for big musicals, "it wouldn't be possible commercially to survive on those audience levels," said Koravos. 24Even with many issues to resolve, the theatre community is more hopeful than a month ago. It believes that the coronavirus-related restrictions have showed the value of human connection and live performances. 25"People are now talking about what it looks like on the other side and three to four weeks ago we weren't prepared to have this conversation," Moreland said. "So that makes me very hopeful." 26I'm John Russell. 27Jill Serjeant and Alicia Powell reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 28________________________________________________________________ 29Words in This Story 30spit - v. to expel liquid from your mouth 31orchestra pit - n. the space in a theater where an orchestra plays 32respectively - adv. separately or individually 33mainstream - n. popular or commonplace 34poll - n. a public opinion study; an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions to get information about what most people think about something 35rehearsal - n. an event at which a person or group performs an activity or exercise (such as singing, dancing, or acting) in order to prepare for a public performance 36intimate - adj. private and pleasant in a way that let people feel free from tension or pressure 37cast - n. the actors taking part in a play or film 38capacity - n. the largest number or amount that something can hold 39conversation - n. a talk between two or more people