WE MISS YOU!! LIVE THEATER IS MEANT TO BE LIVE!
Here's our response to COVID-19, Safety Practices, International Survey,
Virtual Programming, and Our 40th Anniversary Tape Measures
ELTC'S Response to COVID-19
We are open, here in the "office," able to take phone calls at 609-884-5898,
e-mails at eastlynneco@aol.com,
and mail at 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204
or at East Lynne Theater Company, PO Box 121, Cape May, NJ o8204
We are keeping on top of recommendations made by those in the medical profession and in our Cape May Community.
We are open, here in the "office," able to take phone calls at 609-884-5898,
e-mails at eastlynneco@aol.com,
and mail at 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204
or at East Lynne Theater Company, PO Box 121, Cape May, NJ o8204
We are keeping on top of recommendations made by those in the medical profession and in our Cape May Community.
#CapeMayStrong is a collaborative project of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May, the City of Cape May, and Cape May Community Partners. The mission is to provide support and guidance for local residents, businesses, and visitors in Cape May, while keeping the community informed as we all navigate the evolving COVID-19 situation. Visit www.capemaystrong.org for updates.
On May 26 (ironically the same day of its founding in 1913) Actors' Equity Association (AEA) announced that no member may perform in a theater until it is safe to do so. We at ELTC understand and respect the decision. AEA is the labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers, and fosters the art of live theater as an essential component of society. It advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and provides health and pension plans. It is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.
James Rana and Lee O'Connor reading a selection from TRIFLES
Should small theaters in New Jersey be allowed to open, we want to be ready to offer live performances in a safe environment. We hope we can resume live shows in mid-September and continue the rest of our 2020 season. Previously scheduled productions that were not seen in 2020, will be in the 2021 Season and Season Tickets purchased in 2020 will be honored in 2021. Meanwhile, enjoy our TALES OF THE VICTORIANS AT HOME and IN THE BACKYARD. Soon, we'll be offering virtual readings and performances, too.
Artistic Director Gayle Stahlhuth making masks for South Jersey Health Care Workers
Safety Procedures for Performers, Volunteers, Staff, and Audience inside our Venue, The Cape May Presbyterian Church. Click Here for a Virtual Tour of the Facilities.
Technical Director Lee O'Connor researched sprayers/foggers and ordered one recommended by the CDC. He researched solutions used by these machines that are safe to handle, yet will kill bacteria and viruses on wood and fabric, without doing harm to either. Cleaning will take place after and before every rehearsal and performance.
To socially distance in our lobby and restroom areas, we will relocate our box office outside when weather allows us to do so. Volunteers and staff will be required to wear masks and gloves. We will still have paper tickets for those who reserved tickets but didn't pay in advance, but these tickets will be touched with gloved hands, like our playbills. Hand sanitizer is available in wall dispensers on both floors.
We require our patrons to wear masks, too.
Our new "Sold Out" will be 60 instead of 120, since social distancing will be maintained for seating. There will be a loss of revenue, but ALL businesses are asked to have fewer patrons, so we're all in the same boat. Plays will be no longer than 90 minutes with no intermission, since it would be difficult to control social distancing during intermissions. Only bottled water will be available - no other concessions.
We are prepared to take temperatures when people arrive: actors, staff, volunteers, and audience. We'll also be asking questions and if the answer is "no" to all of them, then the "questionee" may enter. These questions are: 1) Have you lost your sense of taste and smell; 2) do you have any unusual shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; and 3) have you knowingly been around a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 during the last two weeks. If there is one "yes" answer to these questions, then, alas, we'll ask the person to quietly leave, and hope to see him/her another time.
ELTC and other theaters in NJ and throughout the country are part of an international study of audience attitudes about theater attendance during and after the Covid-19 crisis, headed up by the research company, WolfBrown. ELTC will begin sending out surveys via Constant Contact in early June, and we thank you in advance to those who respond to this valuable information.
MEASURING SUCCESS Back in January, Technical Director Lee O'Connor came up with the idea of small tape measures to commemorate ELTC's 40th Year. Who knew then, that these handy tape measures would help with Social Distancing! When we're all together again, we'll be selling these adorable items for only $5.
