Regional Spotlight: How Westport Country Playhouse 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 shine a spotlight on Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse with Managing Director Michael Barker.

First of all, I want to check in on the health and well-being of everyone at Westport Country Playhouse. How is everyone doing during this difficult time?

Thank you for asking. We have had one case of COVID-19 among Playhouse employees that I am aware of. We instituted work-from-home, and with the postponement of our season to 2021 we aren't rehearsing or building sets, so everyone is able to shelter in place and take care of themselves.

What do the days look like right now for those who work at Westport Country Playhouse?

A lot of video conferences, telephone calls. As part of our plan to conserve cash and harden our finances to weather this storm, we have furloughed our entire crew and almost 50% of our regular full-time staff, and made other adjustments to individual working hours, etc. We're working on raising contributed income to cover expenses not covered by SBA loans-keeping in mind that ticket and rental revenue has gone to $0-and creating content (primarily online) to keep the Playhouse on our audience's radar and carry out our artistic mission in the meantime.

How much planning is going on both short term and long term for the theater? I would like to hear about the immediate plans for the theater, it's upcoming productions etc., and what the theater is hoping/planning for in future months.

We're postponing our 2020 season, as opposed to cancelling it altogether. We intend to produce most, if not all, of the five plays in 2021 that we had planned for 2020. We intend to kick off Next to Normal in April/May 2021, and we're already hard at work with our co-producing partner theaters for Ain't Misbehavin', which should be up around July/August of next year.

In the meantime, our first online project was a showcase of young artists with Broadway star and friend of the Playhouse, Kelli O'Hara, featuring kids from all over Fairfield County performing numbers from their school musicals cancelled due to COVID-19. More information on that here. We're approaching online content methodically and with an eye toward quality over quantity. There's a lot of quick-and-dirty stuff out there from arts organizations of all sizes; we've never had "quick-and-dirty" as part of our aesthetic, so we're being intentional about taking the time to get it right before we take the plunge and put it in front of an audience. There has been a little impatience ("why aren't you doing X, Y or Z like this other Theater Company is?") but I think there will be a big payoff when we do go live because it will be, for lack of a less loaded term, of a higher quality than some of the ramshackle attempts we've seen early on in the pandemic.

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

We are certainly discussing streaming previously-filmed productions. There are some barriers to doing this, primarily financial (since the artists in the production would have to be compensated appropriately), but we are thinking about it.

What is the best way for people to help Westport Country Playhouse right now?

Stay with us. Participate in the online content and share with your friends. Reach out to me and Mark [Lamos] and tell us what you think. Make a financial contribution if you can. Purchase a 2021 subscription when they go on sale this fall. And spread the word: Westport Country Playhouse isn't gone, and we'll be back onstage very soon.

For more information visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/. Donate HERE.