Among the many industries that found their normal operations upended by the coronavirus pandemic, few have been hit harder than the performing arts, which rely on audiences packing into theaters and concert halls.
Arts venues were forced to shut down their seasons in March and are now considering how to move on in an age of social distancing. Venues have gotten creative: Bristol Riverside Theater in Bristol, Pennsylvania, is streaming its traditional summer concert series online. The Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts also held a fully virtual season, while the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison has arranged for socially distanced outdoor performances. But as the start of a fall season planned pre-pandemic approaches, theaters are looking to what’s next.
Joseph P. Benincasa, president and CEO of the Actors Fund, will address the future of theater and Broadway at the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce’s monthly membership luncheon on Thursday, August 6, at noon. Register for the virtual event at www.princetonmercerchamber.org. Cost: $25, $15 members.
The New York City-based Actors Fund, which Benincasa has led since 1989, provides social services, health care services, employment and training, and affordable, supportive, and senior housing for people in the performing arts. Benincasa is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University and holds a master’s degree from Rutgers.
