By Darcy Kaufman

Sept. 27, 2020

On March 12, Broadway went dark after New York governor Andrew Cuomo banned gatherings of more than 500 people. As COVID-19 cases increased and the shutdown occurred, many people who work in the theater industry, including professional actors and stage managers, were left without a job.

“Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Broadway League head Charlotte St. Main.

Actor’s Equity is a union which represents thousands of professional actors and stage managers. During this pandemic, Actor’s Equity has been coming up with solutions to pay their actors. One of these solutions included starting the Actor’s Fund to raise money. Broadway composer of “Be More Chill,” Joe Iconis stated, “With no box office, there’s just no paychecks, that’s how it works,” At the beginning of the pandemic, professionals in the theatre industry were on unpaid leave until Broadway producers agreed to pay them and provide them with health benefits.

Unfortunately, being on temporary unpaid leave isn’t the only problem professionals are facing in this community. Broadway actor Nick Cordero, 41, died in early July due to complications from coronavirus. He was a well respected actor whose credits include “Bullets Over Broadway,” “Rock Of Ages,” and “Waitress.”

The biggest challenge in facing this virus is the uncertainty of the future. Is it possible to resume productions while adhering to CDC guidelines? Will ticket sales be cut in half due to the guidelines for gatherings? Will audience members have to social distance in theatres? How long before live performances can resume? These are all questions we will continue to discover as COVID-19 runs its course.