Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) It didn't take long for the ripple to reach Western New York
after Broadway announced last week that all theaters in New York City would remain dark until at least late May 2021.
"We were waiting for it," said Lisa Ludwig, board member with the Western New York Theater District Association. "When we all closed in March, we thought we'd be ready to go in a couple of weeks. Then it was a couple of months and now it's getting longer and longer."
Ludwig, who also serves as executive managing director at Shakespeare in Delaware Park, said they were not able to do their main stage production over the Summer. They normally seat 40,000 people each Summer. By the end of the Summer, SDP offered a touring show for 50 people. "I think all of the theaters are trying to put different scenarios together because government mandates change weekly, if not daily, and we all have to be ready to open when we're allowed to."
"We're really blessed here," Ludwig said. "We have over 20 professional theater companies. Shea's is the big one attracting national tours. But a lot of people are affected locally; actors and technicians. It's a ripple effect on all of us."
How long can these theaters withstand the closures? "It's going to be different for every theater," said Ludwig. There's been talk about reopening theaters with smaller capacity audiences. It's going to depend, on each theater, as to whether they can invest in a big production and have only 25% or 50% audience capacity.
At Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Ludwig says they're lucky because it's outside. They're putting scenarios in place for next Summer if they can't have a thousand people at each performance.
A lot of theaters are attempting virtual shows such as Alleyway Theatre, Road Less Traveled Productions, and Irish Classical Theatre. "Check your theater web sites," said Ludwig. "See what they're offering. There's a lot of great virtual content. It's not the same as being in a live theater, but it's a way to keep our community engaged through entertainment until we can all be together in person again."
