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| Alas, Poor New York: Shakespeare in the Park Is Canceled | Alas, Poor New York: Shakespeare in the Park Is Canceled |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Free Shakespeare in the Park, a treasured rite of summer in New York, will not take place this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. | Free Shakespeare in the Park, a treasured rite of summer in New York, will not take place this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. |
| The annual festival, staged as the sun sets in an open-air amphitheater surrounded by trees, is just too big and too soon to pull together at a time when no one knows when large gatherings will be permitted again. | The annual festival, staged as the sun sets in an open-air amphitheater surrounded by trees, is just too big and too soon to pull together at a time when no one knows when large gatherings will be permitted again. |
| “This is something I mightily resisted,” Oskar Eustis, the artistic director of the Public Theater, which founded and runs the festival, said in an interview. “But it’s just clear to us at this point that there’s no way we can responsibly prepare, build and rehearse to get shows open in a timing that might match the quarantine’s timing.” | “This is something I mightily resisted,” Oskar Eustis, the artistic director of the Public Theater, which founded and runs the festival, said in an interview. “But it’s just clear to us at this point that there’s no way we can responsibly prepare, build and rehearse to get shows open in a timing that might match the quarantine’s timing.” |
| The pandemic has forced the cancellation of programming and taken a huge financial toll at arts institutions around the world. Even as elected officials begin to discuss whether and how it might become safe to restart the economy, major summer events — including, in the theater world, the Edinburgh festivals, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Williamstown Theater Festival — have already been called off. | The pandemic has forced the cancellation of programming and taken a huge financial toll at arts institutions around the world. Even as elected officials begin to discuss whether and how it might become safe to restart the economy, major summer events — including, in the theater world, the Edinburgh festivals, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Williamstown Theater Festival — have already been called off. |
| Shakespeare in the Park, which has been performed for free at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater since 1962, was to include two shows this season: a new production of “Richard II,” directed by Saheem Ali, which was to have begun May 19; followed by a musical adaptation of “As You Like It,” directed by Laurie Woolery, that had a brief run in 2017 as part of the theater’s Public Works program. | Shakespeare in the Park, which has been performed for free at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater since 1962, was to include two shows this season: a new production of “Richard II,” directed by Saheem Ali, which was to have begun May 19; followed by a musical adaptation of “As You Like It,” directed by Laurie Woolery, that had a brief run in 2017 as part of the theater’s Public Works program. |
| The composer Shaina Taub, who wrote the songs for the adaptation and has worked on several summer shows at the Delacorte, said “It’s the right decision, but it comes heavy.” | The composer Shaina Taub, who wrote the songs for the adaptation and has worked on several summer shows at the Delacorte, said “It’s the right decision, but it comes heavy.” |
| The Public — birthplace of “Hair,” “A Chorus Line” and “Hamilton” — is more financially stable than many nonprofits, with a $60 million annual budget, a national reputation and well-heeled donors. And the commercial success of “Hamilton” has been a boon, strengthening the theater’s cash reserves. | The Public — birthplace of “Hair,” “A Chorus Line” and “Hamilton” — is more financially stable than many nonprofits, with a $60 million annual budget, a national reputation and well-heeled donors. And the commercial success of “Hamilton” has been a boon, strengthening the theater’s cash reserves. |
| But the pandemic has prompted the Public to cancel seven shows scheduled to run over the spring and summer, as well as all in-person artistic events and programming at its cabaret space, Joe’s Pub. The organization is estimating that the lost box office revenue — combined with an expected, and significant, drop in philanthropic contributions — will create a $10 million to $20 million shortfall by Aug. 31. | But the pandemic has prompted the Public to cancel seven shows scheduled to run over the spring and summer, as well as all in-person artistic events and programming at its cabaret space, Joe’s Pub. The organization is estimating that the lost box office revenue — combined with an expected, and significant, drop in philanthropic contributions — will create a $10 million to $20 million shortfall by Aug. 31. |
| The theater is planning a new fund-raising campaign but acknowledges that donations are likely to be lower than usual because of the Shakespeare in the Park cancellation; the loss of an in-person gala (there will be a free gala online); and the economic downturn, as well as the increased competition for philanthropy that comes with it. | The theater is planning a new fund-raising campaign but acknowledges that donations are likely to be lower than usual because of the Shakespeare in the Park cancellation; the loss of an in-person gala (there will be a free gala online); and the economic downturn, as well as the increased competition for philanthropy that comes with it. |
| So the Public is imposing an austerity plan. It will furlough 70 percent of its full-time, permanent staff — about 160 people — from May 4 to Aug. 31, the end of its fiscal year. Most of the remaining staff, everyone who makes over $60,000 per year, will take up to a 25 percent pay cut. Eustis will take a 40 percent pay cut. | So the Public is imposing an austerity plan. It will furlough 70 percent of its full-time, permanent staff — about 160 people — from May 4 to Aug. 31, the end of its fiscal year. Most of the remaining staff, everyone who makes over $60,000 per year, will take up to a 25 percent pay cut. Eustis will take a 40 percent pay cut. |
| The Public said that its employees had been paid since the theater closed March 12, and that they will receive health insurance through Dec. 31. It will provide grants to the furloughed employees to supplement expected unemployment benefits. All artists who were involved with canceled spring productions were paid based on the end of the scheduled runs of their shows. | The Public said that its employees had been paid since the theater closed March 12, and that they will receive health insurance through Dec. 31. It will provide grants to the furloughed employees to supplement expected unemployment benefits. All artists who were involved with canceled spring productions were paid based on the end of the scheduled runs of their shows. |
| But it’s not all bad news: The Public is continuing to make art. | But it’s not all bad news: The Public is continuing to make art. |
| Its most ambitious plan is a new play by Richard Nelson, produced using video conferencing and featuring the fictional Apple family of Rhinebeck, N.Y. — the characters who appeared in four acclaimed plays he wrote and directed from 2010 to 2013. | Its most ambitious plan is a new play by Richard Nelson, produced using video conferencing and featuring the fictional Apple family of Rhinebeck, N.Y. — the characters who appeared in four acclaimed plays he wrote and directed from 2010 to 2013. |
| This fifth play, set during the pandemic, imagines the family members quarantined in different locations. The original cast members, themselves sheltering in place, will portray the Apples having a Zoom call that the audience will be able to watch for free on April 29. | This fifth play, set during the pandemic, imagines the family members quarantined in different locations. The original cast members, themselves sheltering in place, will portray the Apples having a Zoom call that the audience will be able to watch for free on April 29. |
| “It’s the best thing about how we live now in quarantine that I’ve read in any medium,” Eustis said of Nelson’s script. | “It’s the best thing about how we live now in quarantine that I’ve read in any medium,” Eustis said of Nelson’s script. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| This week the Public has also been hosting, by video conferencing, a staged reading for an ambitious new musical written by Taub about the women’s suffrage movement. | This week the Public has also been hosting, by video conferencing, a staged reading for an ambitious new musical written by Taub about the women’s suffrage movement. |
| And the theater has several other digital initiatives: a collaboration with regional theaters to commission mini-plays that anyone can read aloud at home; a weekly online Shakespeare challenge; streams of Joe’s Pub performances; and an opportunity to watch the Pulitzer-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks at work. | And the theater has several other digital initiatives: a collaboration with regional theaters to commission mini-plays that anyone can read aloud at home; a weekly online Shakespeare challenge; streams of Joe’s Pub performances; and an opportunity to watch the Pulitzer-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks at work. |
| Eustis, who was hospitalized for four days in March with what he believes was the coronavirus, said it is too soon to say when the Public will reopen, or what its programming will look like when it does. | Eustis, who was hospitalized for four days in March with what he believes was the coronavirus, said it is too soon to say when the Public will reopen, or what its programming will look like when it does. |
| “One of the really painful things for me is that, through no choice of my own, I’ve had to break a lot of commitments,” he said. “I don’t plan to set myself up for more commitments I’ll have to break, so we are not going to commit to anything or announce anything until we know we can do it.” | “One of the really painful things for me is that, through no choice of my own, I’ve had to break a lot of commitments,” he said. “I don’t plan to set myself up for more commitments I’ll have to break, so we are not going to commit to anything or announce anything until we know we can do it.” |