Shakespeare Theatre Company to Reopen its Doors With Donmar Warehouse's BLINDNESS

On May 1, Shakespeare Theatre Company will open the doors of Sidney Harman Hall for the first time in over a year for The Donmar Warehouse's sound and light installation Blindness. Prior to ReOpen DC's extending theatre capacity to 25% on April 5, STC had already received a waiver from D.C. Government's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to allow Blindness to open with certain safety precautions in place. Tickets for this limited engagement are available today at noon.

"We've been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to reopen our doors safely and to welcome audiences back," shared Artistic Director Simon Godwin. "This production is prescient, prophetic, and utterly thrilling. I cannot wait for our audiences to enjoy it."

In a unique experience where the audience is onstage, but actors are not, socially distanced patrons wear binaural headphones plunging them into the dystopic world of Blindness. This event, based on Nobel Prize writer José Saramago's novel, unearths how a pandemic of blindness causes chaos, fear, and social unrest. Olivier Award nominee Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) searches for glimmers of hope in a time of figurative and literal darkness. Blindness is adapted by Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and directed by Walter Meierjohann.

After selling out The Donmar Warehouse in London last year, Blindness is running concurrently off-Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre, where it has been named The New York Times Critic's Pick, as well as in Hong Kong and New Zealand. "Blindness will now be seen by audiences around the world, which makes me very proud and grateful," Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Longhurst shares. "COVID-19 has dramatically changed the world and I am so pleased that our production can contribute to theatres opening their doors again."

Blindness begins May 1 and is currently scheduled to run until June 13 with viewing times at 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; there are also showings on Wednesdays at noon. Tickets are $49, except weekend and Wednesday matinees, which are $44; all tickets are general admission.

Tickets for Blindness are available for purchase now: https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/blindness-20-21/

All artists, dates, and titles are subject to change.

Blindness is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and CoStar Group. Additional Production support is provided by Share Fund. Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2020/21 season is made possible by Michael R. Klein and Joan Fabry.

ENHANCED SAFETY PROCEDURES

Patrons will be seated onstage at Sidney Harman Hall in a socially distanced manner and will never be seated next to someone outside their own party. A limited number of single tickets are available for purchase by calling the Box Office. All patrons and staff will wear masks at all times while in the building, and must stay home if they are feeling ill or experiencing any symptoms of illness. To stay within the guidelines of D.C.'s ReOpenDC plan, the seating capacity is limited to 40 guests and there will never be more than 50 people in the building. Complete information about STC's Safety Guidelines is available here: https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/healthandsafety/

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