The Regional Theatre of the Palouse (RTOP) was rehearsing for its upcoming musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” when Washington Gov. Jay Inslee shut down the state due to COVID-19. The show was postponed and out-of-town talent cancelled their trips.
According to Michael Todd from RTOP, postponing the musical was beneficial in preventing the spread of the virus. Despite the ensuing financial loss, the theatre kept its cast and crew safe.
Following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, many of the services offered by RTOP, like voice and piano lessons, went online.
RTOP is currently hosting its Summer Theatre Camp, which has been modified to follow guidelines on the state and federal level regarding COVID-19. Todd said it’s good to have these in-person events in a safe, professional environment.
To host live shows in the fall, Whitman County will need to be in Phase Four of Gov. Inslee’s reopening plan. The county is currently in Phase Three.
In compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, ROTP has shows lined up for the fall if audiences are willing to come. As of July 8, ROTP has not yet announced shows or ticket sales for the upcoming season due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.
ROTP’s theater has under 100 seats and, if running at half capacity, the audience would be able to properly practice social distancing. The cast sizes of the shows ROTP has prepared are small, allowing cast members to social distance as much as possible on stage.
Some aspects of theatre can’t be achieved while social distancing, though. Backstage spaces can be cramped and certain scenes on stage need physical contact between actors. RTOP is considering using filming and video options to bring entertainment to its audience in case it can’t produce live shows.
“Support the arts during this challenging time,” Michael Todd said. “Given the industry that it is, it will most likely be one of the last ones that will be able to open. Donating time or talent or financial resources to art and art institutions is essential.”
The University of Idaho Theatre Department has been delivering distanced education since 2009 for its MFA program. Moving online felt like “second nature” to some in the theatre department, Chair of Theatre Arts Robert Caisley said, though on-campus students still felt the disruption. As of early July, all theatre courses scheduled for fall can be taught online, he said.
The first show of the spring 2020 semester, “Deep Calls,” went without a hitch. The second show, “The Moors,” played for one weekend before UI transferred online. The final show of the spring semester, “You Can’t Take It with You,” was postponed indefinitely. “You Can’t Take It with You” will likely show in the fall, although this is subject to change, Caisley said.
As of early July, the UI Theatre Department plans to produce a live theatre season this fall, but there are plans for moving the season online if COVID-19 spikes again in the fall, Caisley said. Livestream or hybrid versions of university-produced shows will likely be the alternative if UI can’t host in-person events, he said. Though there is nothing concrete in place yet, much planning for the upcoming semester has focused on this possibility. Caisley said much of what will happen in the fall depends on which stage of reopening Idaho is in and the number of local COVID-19 cases.
UI has recommended on-campus theater spaces not exceed 50% capacity. The Hartung Theater, one of three theaters on campus, has 417 seats, and can be used as a performance space and as a classroom, in case larger in-person classroom spaces are needed in the fall. The smaller theatres, the Forge and the Pocket Playhouse, have 90 and 50 seats respectively. Caisley said it will be difficult to enforce social distancing in live audiences in these smaller spaces. Since shows will need to run with smaller audiences, shows may run longer to try to make up for lost ticket revenue, he said.
Auditions for UI productions will still be held the weekend after classes begin this fall. The auditions are currently planned to be held in-person, but if circumstances change, auditions may be held virtually or through video submissions.
“It is my great hope that as a department we are all going to rally together in solidarity to confront what looks like insurmountable odds,” Caisley said.
Joey Cisneros can be reached at [email protected]