Center Theatre Group Announces Updates on ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and More

Center Theatre Group has announced updates regarding its production of Once on This Island, and more.

Read the full statement below:

We are truly in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 crisis is something we have never seen in our lifetime, in the world at large and in its implications for our theatre community.

Great playwrights have a special gift that allows them, in extraordinary moments like this one, to help us make sense of the nonsensical and, ideally, shape our society for the future. And it is through the act of giving these ideas a platform that we as a theatre company have the power to inspire conversation and build community. Theatre gathers people together; the desire for this kind of deep connection is stronger right now than ever. In the absence of a shared physical space, it's imperative to find new ways to bring our communities together. We all find ourselves in a moment of crisis, but also a moment of reflection and reimagination.

The world has experienced moments of profound pain before, and often, from the darkness, life-affirming art has emerged. Such was the case during the AIDS crisis, when we helped bring the world Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Tony's words about confronting the horrors facing his community resonate deeply with us today: "The Great Question before us is: Are we doomed? The Great Question before us is: Will the Past release us? The Great Question before us is: Can we Change? In Time? And we all desire that Change will come." Embracing both loss and change is how we as a theatre company will spin forward.

So, we have a few updates for you now.

In accordance with the latest government and public health orders that large venues remain closed through April 19, 2020, we are exploring all options for our previously scheduled production of Once on This Island at the Ahmanson Theatre, including the possibility of rescheduling. For all patrons currently holding tickets to this production, we ask that you please wait for us to contact you about your options. Our sales teams are set up remotely and working as quickly as possible to handle all ticketing needs resulting from the ongoing situation.

Inspired by the idea to create community beyond a shared physical space, we are moving some of our education and community programming online. We encourage you to tune in for our College & Career Fair for the Arts on Saturday at 9am, which we've transitioned to a completely virtual event that will be hosted on YouTube. Over 500 students and educators are planning to participate, and their excitement is giving us hope for the future of the arts. Please feel free to join us and share in this looking forward.

Our Ahmanson season subscriptions are currently on sale and we have an incredible roster of shows coming to Los Angeles. We have several options, including a monthly payment plan, to remain as flexible as possible in these quickly evolving circumstances. We are waiving our $10 payment plan fee at this time for additional ease and convenience. And if you are a renewing subscriber, we have extended your deadline until April 17. Please send any questions to tickets@ctgla.org. We will be monitoring and responding as quickly as possible. Thank you in advance.

We know you're excited to return to the theatre, so we want you to know that we continue to plan for our upcoming seasons at the Taper and Douglas and hope to share news with you in the coming weeks. We remain dedicated to delivering essential plays that provoke conversation and give voice to unique perspectives.

In this extraordinarily difficult moment, we want to ensure that theatre continues to play an important role in all our lives. Imagine the art that is being and will be created that will help us better understand this moment in time. Please consider donating to Center Theatre Group to ensure that there is support and space for the world to experience that art.

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This is just the beginning. Center Theatre Group is already dreaming big. Art goes on. And so do we. I hope you'll join us at each step of the way. We're all in this together, now more than ever.

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