Commitment to Audience Safety Halts “Every Brilliant Thing”
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It was 7:40 pm on March 4th, the third weekend of performances for “Every Brilliant Thing”. Audience members were taking their seats, others were still filtering through the lobby. Backstage, Producing Artistic Director (and actor for the show), Evan Hoffmann, stood shocked, staring at the results of his two COVID tests. One read positive, the other appeared negative.
One of NextStop’s requirements for “Every Brilliant Thing,” a one-actor play that involves close and intimate interaction with the audience, was that Hoffmann take a rapid COVID test prior to every performance. Up until this point, every test had come back negative. Until that evening.
“I knew what had to be done as soon as I saw the positive test result,” Hoffmann said later during a phone interview. “It was a shock and personally devastating to me, but it was really the only way to proceed.”
NextStop immediately announced to audience members that the show that evening was canceled. It then proceeded to cancel all remaining shows that weekend and the following weekend, refunding all ticket holders promptly.
“NextStop made a commitment to audience safety when we re-opened our doors to the public last June,” states Vicki Kile, Executive Director of NextStop Theatre Company. “We believe that audience safety is top priority, even if that means canceling the run of a highly successful show. Don’t get me wrong – the decision to cancel this production was painful for all of us here at NextStop. Building back audiences has been an uphill battle after the recent Omicron surge. But in the end, I believe our audiences will appreciate that we chose to proceed with integrity, honesty, and transparency, keeping their safety utmost in our mind at all times.”
“The CDC recommends that those who test positive for COVID remain masked at all times for 5 to 10 days afterwards. This made it nearly impossible for us to stage the final set of performances the following week,” Hoffmann adds. “Simply put, this show does not work with a masked actor – the connection forged between the actor and the audience is central to this play and what makes it feel so authentic. That connection can’t be established effectively when the actor is masked and facial expressions are obscured. Although it’s truly a disappointment to not be able to complete the run of this show, canceling the remaining performances was the only path we could take.”
Asked whether “Every Brilliant Thing” will be reintroduced into NextStop’s season at a later date, Hoffmann simply states, “Although we’re exploring all possibilities, given our tight performance schedule, it is highly unlikely we will be able to re-stage this production. That’s why canceling this show was so heart-wrenching for us all.”
As the world transitions out of the pandemic, hard decisions will continue to be faced by many arts organizations. The unpredictability of the pandemic continues to challenge groups as they rebuild audiences. At NextStop, audience relations are heavily built on trust.
“At the end of the day, we are a community-based organization,” says Kile. “We have a responsibility to our patrons, staff, and community at-large to provide great performances, but not at the expense of public health. Here at NextStop, we believe audience safety isn’t just verbiage– it’s a true commitment, and one that we will continue to uphold.”