Checking In with Atlanta’s Arts Community
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the arts have taken a severe hit. However, local arts organizations in Atlanta are fighting through. We sat down with some of Atlanta’s premier LGBTQ-friendly theater, music, and arts institutions to discuss how they’re handling the pandemic and what their plans are moving forward. Read the full interviews at thegavoice.com.
Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director
How did you make it through last year? Since shutting down our physical theatre in March of 2020, The Alliance has been in full tilt morph mode. We’ve become producers of digital theatre, streamers of animated film, explorers and exploders of all things Zoom, creators of drive-in theatre staged in shipping containers, and producers of PPE for medical professionals. You name it, we took a swing at it. And there have been some moments of terrific agility and innovation that made me exponentially more proud than I already was of the people with whom I get to work.
Like so many in our community, the nonprofit arts world has been hit hard. This year, our earned revenue has been drastically reduced from previous years. Yet, owing to the amazing generosity of Atlanta’s philanthropic community — individual, foundation, and corporate — we are confident that we will weather this landscape.
What are your plans for 2021? What opportunities to enjoy the arts are you offering patrons?
We are popping up a tent for the “Under the Tent” series of outdoor performances, and we are also continuing to build on our portfolio of digital content with Alliance Theatre Anywhere, including our new Spotlight Studio featuring new work by local artists.
The “Under the Tent” series enhanced COVID safety
will utilize procedures (alliancetheatre.org/content/faqs-the-under-thetent-series), including open-air performance space, socially distanced seating in two- and four-person pods, contactless entry, and required use of face masks. We have also hired a COVID Coordinator to oversee adherence to all CDC guidelines for our cast, crew, and audiences. In addition, the Alliance Theatre will be offering both in-person and virtual summer drama camps this year.
Brady Brown, Associate Marketing Director
What are your plans for 2021?
We are continuing to offer virtual productions worldwide for our patrons! All tickets can be purchased at outfronttheatre. com. We have an incredible mix of cabarets, scripted performances, and much more to come! As for the remainder of 2021, we are hopeful and cautiously optimistic to open for in-person performances again at limited capacity. As always, we will listen to the CDC and other qualified organizations before making any sort of decision like that.
Why is maintenance of the arts important during a pandemic?
The arts have always been a way for us to tell the stories of where we are today and where we are heading tomorrow. Queer art is especially important during this pandemic because it keeps us connected to other human experiences. This pandemic has shuttered a lot of businesses and organizations, so it can feel incredibly lonely and disheartening at times. The ability to continue a relationship with other individuals and organizations through art, even if it is virtual, is such a strong and necessary tool that we have. There is some exceptional queer art being produced all around us right now, and you’ll be amazed once you start to see it.
Cliff Norris, Director of Marketing and Development
We were two weeks away from our March 2020 concert and our first big parade of the year when everything shut down. It has been difficult for our performers to not have that outlet through a year canceled events. It took a few months to figure out how to rehearse virtually, learning from what our bands in other cities were doing. In putting together our first virtual concert in December, we learned a lot about licensing very quickly. Still, it has been a struggle to keep our band family together. Even with the challenges of the pandemic, we have welcomed six new members. We take that as an encouraging sign for our future.
What opportunities to enjoy the arts are you offering patrons?
Our March 20 concert, “Voices of Equality,” will feature “Unspoken,” a brand-new piece by Katahj Copley, a student composer from the University of West Georgia, that honors the memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others we have lost. The concert itself commemorates and celebrates the work toward equality in our country. Our Color Guard is also preparing several performance videos that we will release throughout the year.
For December, since it will have been two years since we were last in the concert hall, the theme is “Happy Holidays — All of Them.” We hope to celebrate all the holidays we have missed sharing together along with remembering and celebrating those we have lost.
What are your plans for 2021?
2021 will be an exciting year for True Colors Theatre, as we are focusing on amplifying the voices of emerging and mid-career artists for the continuation of our Joy and Pain season. The Next Narrative initiative is our key platform for implementing these opportunities, which includes the New