Actors’ Equity has approved the opening of two theaters since stages across the nation shut down in mid-March to quell the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19: Barrington Stage Company and Berkshire Theatre Group, both in Western Massachusetts.
Since theaters went dark, the union for stage actors and managers has been strict with its expectations for theaters. With a potentially deadly virus circulating uncontrolled in the country, stage actors have unique workplace hazards because of their close quarters, proximity to strangers, and projecting or singing—a common way for the virus to spread via respiratory droplets. For months, the only offerings from professional theaters in the United States were archival recordings of past productions and experimental online events.
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