Minnesota's independent theaters are clinging to life during COVID-19

Silence is the sound of the summer so far at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. The theater remains closed due to COVID-19, despite state government guidelines permitting it, and theaters alike, to reopen at 25-percent capacity.

The Parkway Theater, a 365 seat venue, won't be reopening anytime soon.

"The most people we can fit in the venue with proper social distancing is 90 people," said Parkway Theater co-owner Ward Johnson.

Keeping guests safe and healthy would be another hurdle to jump for the theater, whether they're enjoying a show, using the restroom, or at the concession stand.

"There's also a question for the performers," Johnson said. "Do they feel comfortable being in a room with 90 people, let alone 365 people? There's just a lot of questions even beyond whether or not doors of the theater could legally open, whether we should open."

It's a tough reality for the Parkway Theater and many like it.

"It's one thing for a business to withstand a downturn in business, but to withstand where you're literally going to zero...we operate on very thin margins."

A group of more than 1,200 independent music venues and promoters, including the Parkway Theater and 30 other Minnesota theaters, are part of the National Independent Venue Association. Together, they're asking the public write letters Congress through the #SaveOurStages campaign.

1 Million Emails Have Been Sent to Congress, Imploring Legislators To #SaveOurStages pic.twitter.com/1Fb5QChc4m

The letters urge Congress to support the RESTART Act, which proposes to extend the 8-week covered period to a 16-week period to allow the hardest-hit businesses that have seen revenues decline by at least 25% additional time to deploy PPP funds and meet the requirements for loan forgiveness.

"What we are looking for is more targeted relief for businesses where their revenue has literally gone to 0%," Johnson said.

Tax breaks, mortgage breaks, and targeted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Without the support, the National Independent Venue Association says 90% of their independent venues will close.

"I think the PPP loan was really a temporary solution whereas venues such as ours will stay completely closed for really the foreseeable future," Johnson said. "Venues are put in a pretty difficult position right now. We're trying to keep our staff on because it's the right thing to do and there's still work to be done. It also helps them avoid going on unemployment."

Around 20 people work for the Parkway Theater, but all of the part-time staff were furloughed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We've been able to keep our fulltime staff on and that was something the original PPP loan helped with," he said. "That only gets you approximately two months. That has expired and now we are looking what we are going to do now until the end of the year to keep our fulltime staff on."

Johnson says the Parkway Theater will hold its first ever virtual concert on Saturday, July 18 featuring Minneapolis-based Turn, Turn, Turn.

Several other virtual concerts are planned as the theater looks to keep some form of revenue stream alive.