With COVID-19 changing the world as we know it into an invisible enemy, one of the hardest hit institutions is the American Theatre which has been completely shutdown until further notice.

If and when theaters will reopen and life will be back to normal, no one knows for sure.

As a member of American Theater Critics Association (ATCA) I am privy to coverage from other critics. Together their observations and reporting offer a microcosm of what’s happening to theatre in communities across America.

Some of the coverage offers signs of hope…others signs of despair. Together they paint a picture of how various communities are handling life when the theaters go dark.

VIRUS CRISIS COVERAGE
Here is a sampling of the coverage of the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on America’s theater community by members of ATCA.

• Lynn Felder – Local youth theater seeks players for online project
• Michael Grossberg contributed to Coronavirus: Arts groups losing money as central Ohio venues close
• Bill Hirschman – “I’m Still Here” SoFla Theaters Say, But What Will ‘Here’ Be?
• Harry Duke – Going Dark – How to support your local theater in a pandemic
• Tim Leininger interviewed Kristin Chenoweth whose concert at the University of Connecticut was cancelled due to the virus crisis
• Alan Smason – Reported on virus crisis developments on a YouTube program in New Orleans
• Kerry Reid and Karen Topham both covered Teenage Dick livestreaming – Kerry’s is here and Karen’s is here
• Lily Janiak  – Cal Shakes cancels entire 2020 season
• Jay Handelman published seven stories on the virus crisis in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune including Sarasota faces a temporary arts withdrawal
• Jonathan Mandell – World Theatre Day 2020: Celebrate Theater Without Theaters!
• David Siegel shared Deadline is Tuesday for COVID-19 Microgrants in DC

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