It's the issue on everyone's mind on Broadway right now:
How can we all — cast, staff, and spectators — return to theaters safely as the delta variant spreads just as plays are getting back up and running?
There is no one solution to that issue, according to epidemiologist and economist Dr. Blythe Adamson; rather, there are many distinct responses that may be blended successfully for any particular production.
On the latest edition of Variety's theatrical podcast "Stagecraft," Adamson says, "There isn't one method that everyone should be doing it."
“It's the fact that we have a variety of tools that we can stack together.”
Adamson has been a prominent voice on COVID guidelines for Broadway after serving on the White House COVID-19 task group and advising on a variety of large-scale, in-person events (including sports events).
She's now working as a COVID consultant for "Pass Over," the first production to reopen after the closure (and the second after "Springsteen on Broadway").
Adamson was important in putting the safety procedures and safeguards in place for “Pass Over,” and she discussed some of the ideas she gained from her study and work in sports on the latest episode of “Stagecraft.” She, for example, is a big supporter of several times-per-week PCR testing.
She also emphasized that everyone must be ready for change.
She replied, "Your safety rules can't be strict." “You should have the ability and expectation that they will change over time as you gain more knowledge, as well as when the predominance in the community changes.”
The production's dedicated COVID safety manager (a new job established post-lockdown and distinct from the state manager) oversees the "Pass Over" procedures, which go above and above the minimums needed by local laws and industry labor agreements.
But, in Adamson's opinion, the additional care (and the associated expenses) are well worth it.
She said, "We could do the very minimum and definitely have an epidemic in the cast." “What are the ramifications of doing the bare minimum? All of the income lost as a result of canceled concerts, and that's just the financial aspect.
… At the end of the day, we really care about people's health.
We want them to be in good health.
We don't want individuals to be put in danger, become ill, or spread this to their family.
There's also a human aspect to it.” “Protecting people has a high return on investment,” she said.
Adamson also addressed the process of working out acceptable safety measures in the frequently unique settings of Broadway on the most recent episode of "Stagecraft."
“I'd say things like, ‘Well, just open the dressing room windows,' and [a stage manager] would reply, ‘There are no dressing room windows!' They're all packed into a small, tiny area! There are no windows that can be opened!'
