Only an Intermission
As we approach day 100 of the coronavirus-related Broadway shutdown, it can be easy to fall into despair. For many of us, the theatre has been a constant part of our lives (either as fans of the theatre or people who work in it) for years. As the pandemic drags on, it can also be scary to consider when, exactly, we will all be able to return to the theatre. These feelings of fear, sadness, and anxiety are normal and understandable. But this is not the end. Many theater companies and productions recently tweeted out messages of encouragement with the hashtag “only intermission.” This is important, no matter how dark things may look right now, this is only an intermission and theatre will start again.
Broadway and TKTS will come back.
Since the Greeks first started staging theatre, thousands of years ago, there has always been a fear that the art form wouldn’t last. Every new advancement in society, every new development in technology has, according to some, signaled the downfall of the theatre. But, throughout all of human history, theatre has persisted. It survived the Dark Ages, it survived the Black Plague, it survived the Great Depression, it survived both World Wars, and it will survive Covid-19.
The reason why theatre has been so persistent is that, on a fundamental level, humans need it. Live performance is a sacred space to many people because it represents something that no amount of technology can re-produce. There is no equivalent or substitute for the feeling of watching a play or musical live. This is why, for thousands of years across continents and cultures, theatre has survived. And it is why theatre will survive this current moment.
This is not just theoretical however. We can see that theatre will be returning from the fact that shows are still rehearsing. Many theatres are still announcing seasons for the coming year. Artists are still creating and staying active, with live play readings over Zoom going through a massive boom. Indeed, what this moment in time may mean in the long term is that theatre will become more accessible to people outside of just New York City. These are positive developments that make it possible to engage with an entirely new, wider audience for shows going forward.
At Broadway Crew, we are not just waiting around. During the shutdown, we have continued to engage with our staff, we’ve developed our online presence, and we’re brainstorming ways to adapt our business model for the new climate of Broadway. Our staff is just as excited to get started again as they were on the first day of the shutdown. We’re taking this time to find ways to make our company bigger and better than it was before.
This is not the end. It is a painful time, and many of us are feeling grief over lost loved ones, lost jobs, and lost experiences. But this is not the end of theatre. Theatre and Broadway will come back. Stronger than ever. Fiercer than ever. More exciting than ever. Because, throughout history, that has been what happened. We in the Broadway community are not in retreat, we’re rebuilding. And, once it is safe to return, we will come back better than ever. Because this is just an intermission, and intermissions end. Just as this pandemic will end. Broadway will be back and, when it is, we at Broadway Crew will be back along with it.