Round House Theatre Cancels Remainder of 19-20 Season

In response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and CDC recommendations, all Round House Theatre performances for the rest of the 2019-2020 Season will be canceled. Round House will also cancel its upcoming Gala, originally scheduled for April 25, 2020.

The productions affected by this cancellation are Cost of Living by Martyna Majok (originally scheduled to run April 1 - 19, 2020) and THE LOVE/HATE REP, which includes Charles Mee's Big Love (May 20 - June 21, 2020) and Rehana Lew Mirza's Hatefuck (June 10 - July 3, 2020). As previously announced, Cost of Living will now be produced in September 2021. Round House will explore reinstating the other productions as future seasons are planned.

Current Round House education programming will be affected as well: some programs will continue online, some will be postponed, and some will follow the guidance of MCPS. At this time, Round House Summer Camp will proceed as scheduled. Round House education staff will contact all current students, and more detailed updates on education programming can be found on the Round House website.

Round House Theatre's top priority is ensuring the health and safety of patrons, students, artists, and staff. A full statement from Round House Artistic Director Ryan Rilette and Managing Director Ed Zakreski follows: "We live in unprecedented times. The new rules about social distancing and maximum gathering sizes have uprooted all of our lives, but for those of us in the theatre, whose art demands human connection, these new rules have proved particularly challenging. At Round House, our response to this challenge is guided by our top priority: our community. That's why we decided last week to close all facilities, suspend education programs, and postpone Martyna Majok's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Cost of Living.

This week, as the CDC recommended canceling or postponing gatherings of more than 50 people until mid-May, we realized we needed to be proactive and go a step further. And so, we've made the extraordinarily difficult decision to cancel the rest of our 2019-2020 Season as well as our upcoming Gala. We've also had to make changes to our education programs: some will finish online, some will be postponed, and some will follow the guidance of Montgomery County Public Schools.

Sadly, this means the cancellation of three incredible shows. As we announced last week, we intend to produce Cost of Living in September 2021 with the same artistic team intact. We will also be making decisions about reinstating the LOVE/HATE REP as we plan for future seasons. Though we are disappointed that we won't be able to share the rest of our Homecoming Season, this is the right decision to protect the health and safety of patrons, students, artists, and staff. And it was a decision groundedin our core values of empathy, community, and integrity.

This significant disruption will pose major financial challenges to Round House in the months ahead. We are working to sustain the theatre through this crisis, keep our staff employed, and make sure we are ready to launch our coming season with the uplifting and inspiring theatre you expect from us. But we need the support of the broader Round House community to do that. We are asking current subscribers and patrons with tickets to the canceled shows to consider donating the value of their tickets back to Round House. We understand the uncertainty that the national situation is creating for many, and we will be offering credits for future productions and refunds for those who need them. We urge the public, however, to consider the value that Round House brings to their lives, and to make a ticket donation or charitable contribution if they have the capacity to do so.

Rest assured, Round House isn't going anywhere. Times like these remind us that art isn't a luxury-it's a necessity. In the coming weeks, we will be rolling out new artistic and educational offerings online in order to stay connected to our community. And of course, we look forward to reconnecting with everyone at the theatre in September for Quixote Nuevo, the first show in our recently announced 2020-2021 Season. For now, please take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community. We'll do the same. Stay tuned for more updates, and be well. We'll see you soon at the theatre!"

For information and updates as they become available, please visit RoundHouseTheatre.org/COVID-19. Round House patrons can still call the box office at 240.644.1100 with questions about tickets and subscriptions.

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