Positive Coronavirus Test Halts Shakespeare in the Park for Third Night – The New York Times

The merriment is still on hiatus.

The Public Theaters free Shakespeare in the Park production of Merry Wives, which had already pushed back its opening night by nearly two weeks after its leading man was injured, announced on Friday that it would cancel its third consecutive performance after learning a production member had tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday.

The theater had canceled the Wednesday and Thursday performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, in accordance with its existing protocols. It announced on Twitter on Friday that it would call off Fridays performance as well to support the artistic and logistical efforts required to restart performances.

A spokeswoman for the theater, Laura Rigby, said the theater planned to resume performances on Saturday. The production is scheduled to run through Sept. 18, with a special gala performance on Sept. 20.

The theater noted on Twitter that it practiced rigorous testing and daily health and safety protocols to ensure everyones safety. It said on Wednesday that the cast, crew and staff members would isolate and take additional tests if needed.

Earlier this week the theater postponed the plays opening night to Aug. 9, from July 27, after Jacob Ming-Trent, who plays Falstaff, sustained an undisclosed injury. (He is recuperating, the theater said, and his understudy Brandon E. Burton will perform the role in his absence.)

The show, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeares comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor, has been running in previews since July 6. Written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali, it is set in South Harlem and represents African immigrant communities not often seen onstage. Bioh and Ali have said they hope the production makes Shakespeare accessible to all audiences, especially people of color who may have been told Shakespeare was not for them.

We want it to be antiracist, Ali told The New York Times this month. We want it to have opportunities for people of color that didnt exist before.

In June, the theater announced that it would fill the Delacorte Theater to 80 percent capacity after initially saying it would allow only 428 attendees in the 1,800-seat theater for each performance.

People who show proof of vaccination can occupy full-capacity sections, and distanced sections are available for those who are unvaccinated (and those theatergoers do not need to show proof of a negative test to enter). Face masks are required for people in both sections when entering and moving around, though those in the full-capacity sections may remove them while seated.

On Friday, Rigby said the theater was monitoring Covid-19 cases in New York City and would adjust its policies if needed in collaboration with its city, state and union partners.

The cancellations come amid the rise in cases caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has been responsible for the postponement of a number of stage productions and delays in television and film projects in Europe over the past month. Andrew Lloyd Webbers Cinderella musical recently moved its opening night in Londons West End back about a month after a cast member tested positive, while productions like Hairspray at the London Coliseum and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeares Globe have also experienced delays following positive tests.

In the United States, the Delta variant is now responsible for a majority of cases, and some experts are recommending that fully vaccinated people wear masks again to protect the unvaccinated.

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Positive Coronavirus Test Halts Shakespeare in the Park for Third Night - The New York Times