There's a woman who has seen the play “Pass Over†multiple times in just a few days. She sat with the audience one night, returned another day to stand at the back of the theater and once stayed backstage for an entire performance.
She's not exactly a super fan. Don't get her wrong, Dr. Blythe Adamson loves the play. But she was searching for something more than a jolt of live theater - ways to lower the risks of COVID-19 transmission.
Adamson is tasked with making the August Wilson Theatre safer on both sides of the stage. She has climbed onto the roof to inspect the new HVAC ventilation system that brings in fresh air and put portable air filters around the building. She has talked to stage managers to understand the movement of people backstage and hung out in the lobby during shows to look for chokepoints. She once spent a performance loitering at the bathrooms to see how patrons could spread the virus.
“Bringing together more than a thousand people into one room during a pandemic, as an epidemiologist, is something that I would not endorse if I didn't really believe that it can be done safely,†said Adamson, founder of Infectious Economics, which has helped develop protocols for the NBA, the fashion industry and retail stores.
Adamson is part of a new group crucial to Broadway's reopening this season: Professionals grounded in science tasked with ensuring a COVID-19 free zone.
“It's all about reducing risk,†said Mimi Intagliata, director of production at Disney Theatrical Group who is in charge of its virus response. “We on Broadway aren't going to get rid of COVID any more than anybody else. But it's about reducing our risk so that we keep our folks as safe as we can and keep the show going.â€
Air is now constantly circulating inside the August Wilson Theatre, thanks to the placement of portable air fans and air filters with MERV-13 or HEPA technology. Adamson cut the number of people who can go backstage and recommended PCR testing for COVID-19 for everyone, regardless of whether they are vaccinated. All workers now wear KN95 masks.
Adamson endorses a policy of layered solutions - multiple, overlapping efforts that currently is grounded on rigorous personal testing and air filters everywhere. It means listening to the latest science and changing protocols if necessary. It means bracing for the inevitable positive test result.
The Disney Theatrical Group has settled on five pillars to keep people safe: mandating vaccinations, frequent testing, plenty of PPE, regular hand hygiene and surface cleaning and upgrading HVAC systems.
Company members are PCR tested every day and there is additional antigen testing planned - far exceeding the union protocols. Because Disney has children in their companies, they are sticking with masking mandates backstage.
Examining every aspect of their productions has led to everything from touchless bathroom facilities to scrapping the tradition of actors signing autographs after shows. Managers even realized that two actors in one show who had no stage time together were sharing a dressing room, unnecessarily risking a bigger disruption if one fell ill.
“Those are the types of things you have to look at and shake up status quo to say `The things that we do out of hand without even thoroughly thinking about, we have to back up and reevaluate,â€' said Intagliata.
“Pass Over†- the first play to open on Broadway since the pandemic shut down in March 2020 - was almost perfectly designed to show a path past COVID-19: It has just three actors, lasts just 90 minutes with no intermission and no musicians.
“This is the right show to be the first,†said Adamson. “If we can't make it work with this one, then we don't understand what works. With musicals, it will be harder. But we have the tools.â€
Adamson suspects bigger shows will have to do PCR testing for all staff four to six days a week. To keep costs low, she suggests they pool their tests. “Pass Over†combines up to 24 saliva samples for one PCR test and separates them so ushers and ticket-takers are in a different sample bag than actors.
As for audiences, anyone wanting to see “Pass Over†and Bruce Springsteen's musical - the only Broadway shows on offer for a few more weeks - both signal what could be the new normal: Proof of full vaccination are required for entry and masks are mandated while moving through the theater.
To infiltrate the August Wilson Theatre, the virus will have to grapple with Pam Remler, a former stage manager who is now a COVID-19 safety manager. Having been the stage manager there during the long run of “Jersey Boys,†she knows the theater's nooks and crannies well.
Remler collects saliva samples from actors and workers each day, schedules tests and does contact tracing. She inspects the theater's various filters and enforces the mask mandates and social distancing requirements.
“This is absolutely doable. We can have an industry. We can do it right. It takes all of us to do this, but it is absolutely doable,†said Remler.
Following the re-election of former U.S. president Donald Trump, former finance minister Bill Morneau says the Canadian government should re-evaluate the timing of some cornerstone Liberal policies.
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.
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Across Canada, dignitaries marked Remembrance Day by laying wreaths at ceremonies, school children sang in the late fall chill and veterans recalled the horrors of battle.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on Monday made their first joint appearance since her U.S. selection loss when they observed Veterans Day together by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.
A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.
A government-funded report released to Â鶹´«Ã½ highlights 'systemic racism' against dozens of Black executives within the federal public service, including allegations of abuse, violence and harassment that, in some instances, led to suicide.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on Monday made their first joint appearance since her U.S. selection loss when they observed Veterans Day together by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
A Spirit Airlines plane was hit by gunfire Monday over Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, according to diplomatic source in the country, resulting in what the airline described as “minor injuries†to one of its crew members.
Israel’s new foreign minister said that there has been 'certain progress' in efforts to end the fighting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is seeking to move up the start of his trial on corruption and bribery charges so he can focus on his campaign for reelection this spring.
A man accused of killing a person and staging it as a fatal bear attack in Tennessee was taken into custody in South Carolina over the weekend on murder charges, in what authorities described as a plot to steal the victim’s identity.
With armed conflict again on their continent, many European leaders marked the end 106 years ago of First World War with warnings that liberty, so often taken as self-evident, should be cherished and defended.
Following the re-election of former U.S. president Donald Trump, former finance minister Bill Morneau says the Canadian government should re-evaluate the timing of some cornerstone Liberal policies.
Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
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An opponent of vaccines who urged violence against scientists, politicians and public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic was sentenced Monday.
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African elephants are Earth's largest land animals, remarkable mammals that are very intelligent and highly social. They also are in peril.
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Chu shared on his Instagram Stories that he and his wife Kristin Hodge welcomed their fifth child on Saturday, writing that he “can’t believe this happened while the movie is premiering.â€
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Pat McLaughlin is stepping down as Hockey Canada's chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy, the governing body announced Monday.
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Edmonton's Beverly Memorial Cenotaph on Monday hosted its 104th Remembrance Day service to honour past and present veterans.
Across Canada, dignitaries marked Remembrance Day by laying wreaths at ceremonies, school children sang in the late fall chill and veterans recalled the horrors of battle.
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Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
Across Canada, dignitaries marked Remembrance Day by laying wreaths at ceremonies, school children sang in the late fall chill and veterans recalled the horrors of battle.
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley expresses concerns about talk of tariffs and Great Lakes water diversion by president-elect Donald Trump.
Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.
There are more than 50 cenotaphs across midwestern Ontario acknowledging the region's contribution to the First and Second World War, Korean War, and conflict in the Middle East.
A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.
An unseasonably mild fall in Simcoe County has put any hopes for an early start to the ski season on hold, still, one local resort has its sights set on the slopes.
Midland has become the latest among urban mayors to call on the province to enact a controversial clause to tackle the homeless crisis.
A local high school honoured veterans of the “Forgotten War†on Monday.
Upwards of 1000 handmade poppies are on display outside Lifetimes on Riverside Retirement home on Riverside Drive East, part of its fourth annual Poppy Project.
After a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) worker took their own life while on shift at the Ambassador Bridge Saturday, Â鶹´«Ã½ Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis highlighted the mental health burdens faced daily by law enforcement.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.
Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.
Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.
The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.
There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.
Police say that a 16-year-old was attacked with a sword Nov. 3 in Cobalt, Ont., in a case of intimate partner violence.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
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