The show must go on
How a Pasadena troupe beat the odds to be arguably the only Texas theaters performing live shows during the pandemic
In the time-honored tradition of the stage motto “the show must go on,” Pasadena Little Theatre entertained live audiences last month with six performances of Luis Santeiro’s 1987 play “Our Lady of the Tortilla,” despite myriad challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally scheduled to run in May, the five-character comedy played to 150 to 200 patrons on June 12-14 and 19-21, director Crystal E. Mata said.
“We followed all regulations by local and state governments and the (Centers for Disease Control), including operating at 50 percent capacity,” Mata explained. “I cleaned the theater before and after each performance because I wanted everyone to feel more comfortable. Everyone wore masks.”
While fans filled the space with laughter, Mata said, “The biggest compliment came from people who said, ‘We felt safe.’”
“I believe we are the only show” with live performances since the pandemic hit Texas in March, she said.
For example, the Pearl Theater recently canceled its production of “Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the Will?” which had been reset from March to June in the Pearland area. Also, Franca’s Dinner Theatre in Nassau Bay announced the postponement of Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” which planned to launch the reopening of Franca’s Real Italian Restaurant on June 12.
Final shows canceled
Eventually, even “Tortilla” bowed to the pandemic by scrapping its final weekend performances, which were slated to start on June 26, when bars across the state were shut down at noon and Harris County moved to Code Red, the highest possible COVID-19 threat level.
“We canceled the last weekend as it was right after the county and state mandates and changes,” said Gregory R. Brown, president of PLT’s board of directors.
“We had made accommodations throughout the building, moving the box office to a different window to allow for distancing and directing lines to bathrooms and concessions to allow for distancing,” Brown said.
“Every other row of seating was blocked, and as patron took seats, we posted ‘unavailable seat’ signs allowing for distancing side to side. Only if we wound up having a number of single patrons did it start to become an issue,” he said.
“The largest group we had was a party of six or seven,” said Mata.
Ushers enforced the rules
Each performance employed two or three ushers, who helped enforce rules such as a maximum of two people in a restroom at one time, and signs designating doors for entry or exit only.
“You’re rejoining civilization, so it’s easy for habits to go back to their old ways,” said Mata.
In early July, the theater announced that its next production won’t happen before the Christmas season.
“The PLT Board, in an abundance of caution for the safety of our actors and audiences, has postponed all Fall shows through November,” the statement began. Mata, who teaches private music lessons from her home near Hobby Airport, said, “It was a blessing that we got to do the show for two weekends.”
She looks forward to seeing other arts venues reopen.
“I have some very close friends who work in the food industry, and every establishment I’ve visited has gone above and beyond to ensure safety 110 percent,” she said. “The major difference between the food industry and a theater is simply the services rendered.”