Regional Spotlight: How Primary Stages is Working Through the Global Health Crisis

Now more than ever it is important to support theater and do our part to keep the art form that we love so much alive and as thriving as it can be during these unprecedented times. While the global health crisis has temporarily put the theater world on hold, pausing all live performances and large gatherings to help stop the spread of COVID-19, theaters around the country have taken a hit. During this time of adjusting to our temporary new normal, theaters are figuring out how to take care of their team, and discovering the best ways to virtually bring theater to audiences.

Through our regional theater interview series, we are checking in with theaters all around the country, talking to them about how they are handling these difficult circumstances, learning what they are doing to move forward, and discovering the best way for people to help regional theaters during this time.

Today we're checking in with Primary Stages!

First of all, I want to check in on the health and wellbeing of everyone at Primary Stages. How is everyone doing during this difficult time?

We are all hanging in there and healthy, thank goodness! It's a difficult time for all, but we've found solace and joy in our bi-weekly full staff Zoom meetings and our frequent calls with our partners, subscribers, students, artists and many other members of the Primary Stages family. We send our love and positive thoughts back to the BroadwayWorld community!

What do the days look like right now for those who work at Primary Stages?

Surprisingly, we are busier than ever. Working from home provides some interesting challenges as well as some exciting opportunities to create new virtual content. We have full staff Zoom meetings twice a week that keep us in touch and on track. With the combined efforts of our small staff of less than 15, we have successfully launched our online Primary Plus: Virtual Community. We have found that all of the arms of our administrative team-from artistic, to education, marketing & development, and beyond-have come together cohesively to put all of our efforts into creating programming to keep our audiences and artists engaged at this socially distant time. It's so important to us that everyone in our extended Primary Stages family knows that they have a community-our in-person interactions may be limited, but we won't let anyone be isolated.

How much planning is going on both short term and long term for the theater?

We recently announced our 2020/21 Season and our new long-term residency at 59E59 Theaters. Our 2020/21 Season includes peerless by Jiehae Park, Roz and Ray by Karen Hartman, On That Day in Amsterdam by Clarence Coo, and a new play to be announced. The safety of our audiences and artists is our top priority, and we cannot wait to share these beautiful and timely works with everyone as soon as we can come together again. We anticipate that this season will begin as soon as the government deems it safe to do so. Click here to become a subscriber: https://59e59.org/membership/primary-stages-subscriptions/

Additionally, we are thrilled to begin our journey as the new resident theater company at 59E59 Theaters and have been having many conversations with their full team about how to best proceed with our upcoming season. Primary Stages Artistic Director Andrew Leynse says, "We couldn't be more ecstatic to return home to 59E59 Theaters. Primary Stages is the definitive Off-Broadway home for new American plays-even as we head back uptown (just a little bit!), we're committed to producing the vital, emerging voices that have shaped our artistic identity in recent years." Click here to learn more about Primary Stages and 59E59: https://primarystages.org/about/59e59

Do you have plans to bring any previously filmed productions/upcoming events/classes etc. online?

We have announced and continue to produce new content for our Primary Plus: Virtual Community. Primary Stages and the Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA) are committed to creating community even as we are socially distant. Whether you're new to us or have been around since the beginning, we want everyone to know that they have a home at Primary Stages and ESPA. Our programs are aimed at helping our community connect with us and each other, keeping people engaged creatively and collaboratively.

Primary Plus: Virtual Community programming includes free Virtual Master Classes by many of our esteemed Primary Stages family members released every Monday; free Lunch-and-Learn playwriting prompts led by a variety of our playwrights every Wednesday and Friday at 1pm ET; free Readings and Meet-ups, including two upcoming Read-Alongs of Little Women by Kate Hamill and All in the Timing by David Ives; free Tearjerkers Film Club hosted by members of the company of our recent NYT Critic's Pick production of Charles Busch's The Confession of Lily Dare; many newly announced Online Classes and Workshops in acting, directing, playwriting, and producing through ESPA; and much more! Click here for the full list of programming: https://primarystages.org/explore/primary-plus

What is the best way for people to help Primary Stages right now?

Tune in to our free Primary Plus programming to be introduced to our community, take a class at ESPA to get your creativity flowing and learn new skills, subscribe to our upcoming 2020/21 Season to join us in person as soon as we are able, and if you have the means please consider making a donation.

Through all the cycles of upheaval and uncertainty that have threaded their way through human history, the arts have provided comfort for those in need. People can help Primary Stages survive this tumultuous time by making a donation today and take it as a deduction on their 2020 taxes, whether or not they itemize. The CARES Act, passed by Congress, creates a new above-the-line deduction that applies to all taxpayers for total charitable contributions of up to $300. By making a gift today, BroadwayWorld readers can help see us through to our 2020/21 Season.

Click here to donate: https://primarystages.secure.force.com/donate/?dfId=a10A000000ThgFYIAZ

Learn more about Primary Stages at primarystages.org.