More transparency from local arts groups
The show probably won’t go on in Pittsburgh this fall thanks to spiking COVID-19 infections. Yet cultural organizations like Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust have yet to cancel or postpone season-opening events in September and October.
While local performing arts groups continue to sell tickets to hopeful patrons, numerous arts groups around the country have proactively canceled shows through the end of the calendar year. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to COVID19 responses, and such sales help to maintain desperately needed cash flow.
But it’s a disingenuous practice. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is unlikely to ease restrictions enough by September to allow thousands of audience members back into the Benedum Center or Heinz Hall. This will be devastating to the arts community and disappointing for those who miss the shared experience of live performances.
Outdoor shows with limited distanced audiences and performers, face masks and robust sanitization efforts are possible and happening now in the U.S. and in Europe. Pittsburgh’s major organizations should be pivoting and preparing the public for such an approach during the summer “off season” rather than remaining silent and hoping for the best.
After all, the question is one of mitigating risk. The virus is among us, and even when a vaccine starts to become available, the danger will not disappear completely. If a company and performers believe they have reduced risk enough to be comfortable putting on a concert or show in accordance with local health guidelines regarding masking, social distancing and sanitization, and if there are Pittsburghers willing to pay for tickets and adhere to those safety standards, why shouldn’t they do so?
Amidst criticism, some U.S. theaters and musical ensembles have already announced and mounted such performances, including the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, which will launch its season with several one-woman one-act shows for small audiences beginning in October. Members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in June recorded a live outdoor concert for broadcast. Could there have been a small, socially distanced audience? And Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been investigating the possibility of a roving mobile stage to be shared among arts groups.
None of these situations are ideal, but they represent a real nonvirtual path forward.
Pittsburgh arts lovers have been generous with their financial support throughout the cultural “intermission” caused by COVID-19. In exchange, they deserve more transparency as these nonprofits grapple with the difficult realities of the coronavirus.