Starting in May, vaccination hearings on Broadway will be a thing of the past.
And with the policy changes, some theater industry jobs will be largely eliminated, including workers who check customers’ vaccination cards outside of various theaters. The move came after many Broadway theater owners chose to drop the vaccination mandate for the public starting May 1.
The Broadway mask mandate for members of the public remains until at least May 31.
The vaccine process was presented in all Broadway theaters in July 2021, ahead of the industry’s reopening in the fall and ahead of the New York City-wide mandate. Now almost all Broadway theaters Requirement dropped, it remains in three nonprofit-owned movie theaters as the industry becomes one of the latest in New York to ease pandemic security measures..
“Since performances resumed last fall, more than five million attendees have seen the Broadway show, and the safety of our cast, crew and audience is our top priority. Our goal is to keep this hearing a safe record for everyone by maintaining strict hearing masks, at least until the month of May. And, of course, we all ask for vaccines,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in an April 15 statement.
For the season, theater owners hired outside companies to verify vaccination certificates when attendees entered the building. These companies have hired contractors to work On a 90-minute to three-hour shift, five or six COVID-19 security guards are assigned outside of each show. This attracted a large number of artists as an alternative to survival work.
“Our team is primarily made up of many actors, a stage manager, directors from companies that work across all the theaters,” said Jeff Whiting, president of SwifTest. Which provided safety equipment for more than a dozen Broadway shows. “No one cared about Broadway as much as they did.”
As theater owners hired outside companies, the cost of their services, which can range from $5,000 to $10,000 a week per company, shifted to performances.
Working to verify evidence of vaccination meant being at the forefront of the industry’s COVID-19 policy enforcement. interviewed workers hollywood reporter He said that in the fall the sponsors were very cooperative and excited about the return to theater. That has changed since regulations changed across the country, while the mask and vaccination policy on Broadway has remained constant.
Workers said crews regularly faced verbal abuse from customers, which only intensified after New York scrapped the masks mandate in March, with onlookers in tears. “COVID is over. “COVID is over,” said the worker.
The number of spectators leaving without masks also rose to 100 people per presentation in March, up from 20 in the past, according to Craig Buckle, CEO of Street Meet Promotions, who used equipment. 12 Broadway theaters. Theaters have masks for these situations.
Obtaining adequate proof of vaccination and identification was another common obstacle for children and the elderly. However, teams have often been able to defuse situations and find a way to safely get customers to the theater, even finding them close to quick auditions. And the workers felt a responsibility to their theater community.
“I’d rather take a step back and say something mean or nasty, and then risk the safety of other owners, staff or performers on stage,” said Kayla Walsh, who has worked with Street Meet Promotions.
Both theater companies and workers knew that these positions were likely to be temporary. Your next steps depend on the production, the theater owners and how Other COVID-19 responsibilities are shared.
Contractors working on SwifTest will remain with the Shubert Organization t theaterso Remind audience members to wear masks. Broadway tutors are not contractually obligated to perform this task, although they are not prohibited from doing so.
Some members of the Street Meet Promotions team will continue to test their vaccination cards at the American Airlines Theater, one of three Broadway theaters that maintains demand, as well as several other small venues. Other workers were offered positions in theaters or working with company staff in Times Square to distribute flyers for concerts.
As a result of recently agreed upon protocols, several theaters have also resigned as a backstage COVID security manager (some contracts were contracted through SwifTest, while others were contracted directly through the theater), according to many people involved. That role oversaw the auditions of selected theater staff and also reminded the audience to wear masks.
The production still has employees assigned to oversee COVID-19 safety at the theater, but there is no longer a need to hire a separate manager to handle this. Broadway Actors and Crew Members required You must be fully vaccinated by at least June and regularly tested for COVID-19.
As regulations continue to evolve and unions continue to negotiate, SwifTest, Street Meet Promotions and their workers are ready to take the next step in the pandemic.
“Right now, we’re just waiting for the next one,” Whiteing said.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
