Performing arts left out of Ohio's coronavirus reopening plan

In Ohio, you can go to a theater to watch a movie but not a play.

You can attend a 300-person wedding reception inside a banquet hall but can't listen to live music inside a venue half that size.

And you can get a private dance at a strip club – socially distanced, of course – but can't see a ballet in a hall where one-third of the seats are empty.

Ohio started reopening in May, phasing in businesses and activities seemingly by the greater risk they posed for spreading the coronavirus. But there were inconsistencies in that plan, perhaps none so clearly than the performing arts community.

Ohio's theaters remain closed and industry leaders worry the current spike in coronavirus cases will further delay a decision from Gov. Mike DeWine on when they can open.

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"The arts" likely conjures thoughts of a packed auditorium, maybe watching a Broadway production on stage. People mill around before and after the show and snag a drink from the bar during intermission.

But Ohio's small and medium-sized theaters are preparing to change some of their signature features to operate during the pandemic. They say they can do a better job keeping employees and patrons safe than some of the businesses that have been allowed to open.

"People don’t process that theaters come in all sizes," said Edward Carignan, artistic director at Short North Stage in Columbus. "Not all are safe to reopen but some are."

Performing arts organizations presented reopening plans to the governor's office in April and again in July. They call for reduced capacity, distancing between patrons and employees, face coverings and other measures businesses have been following for more than two months.

But the governor's office has yet to set a date for reopening. A spokesman said last week there is no timeline for reopening theaters.

"We’re in a stage of the pandemic right now where we’re monitoring upticks in numbers," DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said. "The governor has said all along that the last things to open would be some of the large gatherings and performances, whether it's a sporting event or a concert or Broadway on the road."

The uncertainty is worse than being given an opening date and having to close and postpone, said Kim Kern, managing director and CEO of The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati.

"It's crippling us," Kern said. "Every minute we don’t have guidance, we’re either spending unnecessary money on a production that won’t happen or falling behind on a production that will happen but we don’t have time to put it on."

Meanwhile, the state's arts industry – with an estimated $41 billion annual economic impact – is burning through reserves without an end date in sight. Staffers and artists have been laid off or out of work, with a March survey showing a little over half had supplemental revenue.

Some organizations have received loans, some of which are forgivable, through the Paycheck Protection Program included in the federal coronavirus stimulus bill. None of the state's CARES Act funding has been directed to the arts.

Patrons have donated what they would have spent on tickets and renewed their subscriptions for a fall season that might not happen, for which they'd have to issue refunds. The state's four largest performing arts centers estimated they've lost $20 million from canceling 1,200 events thus far.

“There’s no carryout for the arts,” said Angela Meleca, executive director of Ohio Citizens for the Arts, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of hundreds of arts groups across the state. Meleca said many theaters might close for good by 2021 if they can't restart in any capacity this fall.

Akron Civic Theater has lost more than $400,000 in revenue during the pandemic, said executive director Howard Parr. The theater has postponed or canceled dozens of events, including Herman’s Hermits' Peter Noone, who has been rescheduled four times.

Parr says theater directors understand they will have to make changes to keep people safe and even then, many people won't come. But being able to do something in the fall and winter, he said, means there will be a 2021.

"Artists and agents and buildings are going to recognize you don’t just flip a switch and go back to the way things were before," Parr said. "That everything has to reflect what the market and patrons think, what they do and are willing to do."

In the absence of a state-approved reopening plan, some organizations have planned events under different industry reopening rules, but not all local health departments are willing to do so.

The Lake County General Health District approved the city of Mentor's plan for its summer outdoor amphitheater concert series "Mentor Rocks." The reasoning: A state health order allows county fairs to hold grandstand events with up to 2,500 spectators, with 6 feet between families.

"We feel we can have better control than that, and if that was an acceptable risk by the governor for a fair, we thought that would be at or below that risk to operate the event," Lake County Health Commissioner Ron Graham told the ABC affiliate in Cleveland.

The city of Hamilton moved forward with reduced capacity for its RiversEdge Live outdoor concert series, following the rules set for restaurants, bars and caterers.

"If inside a banquet hall you can have 300 people and we’re outside, let’s do that," said Adam Helms, producer and promoter of RiversEdge.

The concerts, backed by sponsors, are usually free. To limit capacity, the venue decided to sell tickets for $3 to $10 apiece depending on the show. Squares painted on the grass 8 feet apart can seat up to nine people.

The state order prohibiting concerts while allowing other entertainment is the subject of a lawsuit against DeWine and former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.

Asked about the RiversEdge concerts, Tierney said Friday the governor has been "deferential" to events that are outside, spaced and approved by local health departments.

"If it’s the health department’s opinion something can be done safely and it’s within the law, that goes a long way," Tierney said.

However, not all local health agencies are on board. Short North Stage submitted plans to Columbus Public Health, Carignan said. The response: We can't do anything until the governor releases theaters.

Imagine this: A musical where the actors’ lines and songs, pre-recorded, spill out of speakers instead of from the people on stage. The actors' costumes incorporate face masks.

That's one of the more creative ideas being entertained by The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati.

Kern, the theater managing director, said they likely won't plan shows at the 2,500-seat Taft Theatre this fall. They would have performances in their Red Bank Theater and seat between 47 to 58 people instead of 152.

They're considering buying UV lights to sanitize the space in between shows, Kern said, but don't want to unless they know for sure they'll open this fall.

Currently, they're running just one summer youth program at one-fourth typical capacity, under the rules for day camps. The kids are spaced out in squares taped to the floor. Plexiglass shields are used when singing.

Short North Stage has a plan to convert its seating to two-person cocktail tables, seating a max of 70 in a space that usually holds 240. They plan to test actors and staff for the virus weekly.

"We need at least a month to plan these things," Carignan said. "We really can’t commit to waiting it out any longer."