Local artists push for statewide guidelines for live performances

by SONIA WARAICH, Times Standard

Musicians perform at Synapsis in Eureka in October 2019. There are currently no COVID-19 compliant guidelines to allow for live performances, which has created a dire situation for many arts and performance organizations. However, local artists and arts organizations are working with a statewide arts advocacy group to push the state to come up with guidelines. (Sonia Waraich — The Times-Standard)

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the live entertainment venues and the performing arts industry were among the first to voluntarily shut their doors, but seven months into the pandemic, it’s still uncertain when and how performances can once again safely resume.

Recently Eureka City Councilmember and local artist Leslie Castellano submitted a plan for outdoor performance guidelines and Jacqueline Dandeneau, director of the Arcata Playhouse, submitted plans for a specific performance, “Intersections.”

“Both of those plans were rejected in our county on account of the very general guidelines they’ve been given, they constitute gatherings,” Castellano said. “The biggest challenge is that there are no guidelines for the performing arts from the Governor’s Office at this point.”

Various organizations and artists said they hit a brick wall when trying to come up with ways to have live entertainment, forcing many of them to either postpone, if possible, or shift to a virtual format, which they say just isn’t the same. Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said in a Wednesday video that she had brought up the issue of live performances with the state, but currently no state guidelines have been issued.

Given the fact that guidelines have already been issued for live entertainment for a host of other industries, such as religious services and the sports industry, artists felt they were being left out from being able to continue their livelihoods.

“All we want to do is be included in the conversation,” said Calder Johnson, the currently furloughed director of the North Coast Repertory Theatre. ” … For live entertainment, period, and particularly for venues, this is an extinction level event.”

That’s what got Castellano and several other local artists to begin participating in advocacy on the statewide level, spearheaded by Julie Baker, director of Californians for the Arts.

Baker said the advocacy group did a series of regional conversations with about 700 people and found the top needs were funding and guidelines from the state on how to safely reopen the arts.

“There’s a lot of education around that the arts are not a one-size-fits-all business model,” Baker said. “There are other ways we can effectively reopen safely.”

Some symphonies have already demonstrated they can safely perform by social distancing, employing plexiglass and wearing masks, along with other safety precautions, she said.

The group created a task force that’s focused on having artists create guidelines themselves that can be shared with the state to expedite the process, she said.

“What we’re hearing from the state right now is that they’re looking at potential guidelines for outdoor events and that would only be in the yellow (tier),” Baker said.

Even though the pandemic has been devastating overall for the performing arts industry, the shutdown didn’t impact each performing arts group in exactly the same way.

Organizations that own their own buildings and large donor lists, such as North Coast Repertory Theatre, reported being better able to weather the current storm, though Johnson said leases for equipment, insurance and other expenses have to be paid.

“All of these expenses keep coming in,” Johnson said, “and we have no income.”

For smaller venues and organizations, it’s still a big question whether they’ll be able to make it through the pandemic without having to shut their doors.

Redwood Curtain Theatre is a small venue and is running out of money to pay rent, said Ruthi Engelke, of Cooperation Humboldt who is on the board of the theater.

“So I’m looking at our theater closing,” Engelke said. “We may just run out of funds and support and not be able to reopen. We’re going into negotiations with our landlord to see if we can keep the space since it would just go empty if we left it downtown, but it’s heartbreaking.”

Organizations have been trying to pivot, which has been easier for some organizations, such as Arcata Playhouse, more than others.

Arcata Playhouse already had other arts programs and projects that it worked on besides live performances, so Dandeneau said the organization has been focusing more on those during the shutdown.

Without additional funding coming in or guidelines on how to safely reopen from the state, the impact on the local arts community will be nothing short of catastrophic, several artists said.

It doesn’t just impact the venues and performers, but also people who do sound and lighting, who are finding themselves with no work, they said.

“I’ve seen many of my fellow performers that are just depressed,” Engelke said. “They’ve lost their livelihood, they’ve lost the thing that brings them joy, they’ve lost the ability to communicate with other people, and the community’s lost that, too. It’s just a dry world without that.”

To sign a letter by local artists to support the creation of performing arts guidelines at the state level, visit bit.ly/2GVyoes.

Sonia Waraich can be reached at 707-441-0506.