As large cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago reopen during the pandemic some businesses still remain on the fence to reopening and may not reopen anytime soon, if at all. Some of the most popular theaters in these cities are struggling to make a comeback due to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and COVID19 guidelines. The new rules and stipulations for theaters to open back up are very strict and take a toll on the business.
In Chicago performance venues must
- limit indoor crowds to 25% capacity or 50 people, whichever number is smaller.
- Rows of seats will be unusable to allow social distancing
- Masks are required for guest and staff, not performers on stage
- And plexiglass between vocalist and wind instruments performers
As theater owners speak out about the struggle of opening back up during this time, most are saying how pointless it is in doing so. With live performancing requiring an audience and ticket sales to make profit, the fewer numbers in the crowd means fewer revenue flow in the company. This makes absolute sense seeing that the production labor, sound, security and drinks and foods are all a cost. And with few guests in attendance then fewer profit and no return. Just like movie theaters began to close indefinitely and may not reopen, will live performance theaters make a come back and ever reopen?
