Theatre department cancels two shows after Covid-19 scare
Photo by Oliver Jin ‘22
Zoe Stanton-Savitz ‘23
After a crew member of SLC theatre’s production Treehouse tested positive for Covid-19 this Friday, the department decided to cancel the show along with another production, The Reaper Found Your Cat, which is running in repertory.
The shows, which were supposed to be performed Friday night and Saturday afternoon, were ultimately canceled after stage managers for both productions sent out emails to cast and crew to gauge comfort levels with continuing the performances. The emails urged the team to seek immediate testing.
In an email, Director of Production Neelam Vaswani explained that she spoke to the college and no clear policy exists for this situation. She urged anyone not vital to the execution of the production — including designers and directors — to not step foot in the Performing Arts Center. Additionally, Vaswani told cast and crew that if any cast members or stage managers were uncomfortable performing their responsibilities, the show would be canceled. If any run crew members decided not to attend, she would seek replacements, she said.
A number of crew members expressed unease with the situation in both shows.
Treehouse’s light board operator, Mia Randers-Pehrson ‘24 said “I’m not comfortable with potentially more exposure from either me or others.”
Sound board operator Izzy Hardin ‘24 agreed and said “since I’m going home for Thanksgiving to see my elderly grandmother, I don’t feel comfortable coming to the show until I get a negative test.”
At least four members of the crew for Treehouse expressed similar concerns. In scrambling to find replacements, production staff decided it was safer to postpone the shows. Although the positive case was on the Treehouse production team, in sharing a space and working in close proximity, the staff decided it was safest to postpone The Reaper Four Your Cat, as well.
“It is our intention to keep our community's risk level as low as possible as well as to be considerate of everyone's comfort level,” Vaswani said.
The crew member is quarantining in Osilis and all other members of the Treehouse team — including directors, stage management, and cast — have tested negative for Covid.
Treehouse and The Reaper Found Your Cat will resume performances following Thanksgiving break, provided that all members of the cast and crew test negative for coronavirus.
“I’m feeling really thrown off,” said Colette Shaw ‘22, playwright of Treehouse. “It feels so unreal, even though I always knew Covid could interfere, but I know we’ll come back strong and give a great show.”
Zoe Stanton-Savitz is the production stage manager of Treehouse.