California Theaters Respond to COVID-19 And Look to the Future

See how theatres throughout California are responding to the current pandemic and how they're preparing for the life after Covid-19.

The Newport Theatre Arts Center has canceled its production of Working, with no future plans in place as of yet. The company is currently set to present Neil Simon's "Chapter Two" beginning May 29 and is considering a September date due to the current state of the pandemic which has closed Broadway through June. Newport's November offering Absurd Person Singular remains on its original Novemver 11 with The Diary of Anne Frank set to begin performances in January.

Segerstrom Center has postponed visits from the national tours of both Chicago and Les Miserables. Tickets will be honored for new performance dates, to be announced.

Laguna Playhouse has canceled the world premiere musical To Sir, With Love as well as postponing its production of Hershey Felder's Monsieur Chopin" to October. The company is currently considering delaying the one-woman play, Ann, to next season.

Costa Mesa's Vanguard University's first professional production The Marvelous Wonderettes is still slated to open this May but could be pushed to fall. The company has announced its 2020-21 season which includes the new musical Broadway Bound, Much Ado About Nothing, 42nd Street and more!

South Coast Repertory has canceled three productions from its season as well as the Pacific Playwrights Festival. Costa Mesa Playhouse is currently considering this season's offerings, Silent Sky and A Streetcar Named Desire as openers of the 2021 season. Dates have not yet been announced. Golden West College is currently planning a production of Hamlet for the fall.

For those stuck at home, GEM Theater directors Damien Lorton and Nicole Cassesso have launched a weekly online cocktail hour chat. After canceling both of its 2020 productions, UC Irvine's New Swan Shakespeare Festival is offering online streams of its 2018 shows, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Winter's Tale

Read the full story at The Los Angeles Times.

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