“In recent weeks, with theatres side-stepping AEA’s safety protocols and the COVID-19 outbreak among a community theatre cast of Mamma Mia, there has been a lot of discussion about what can be done to prevent theatres that are being unsafe, from producing shows. An idea that I’ve seen gaining steam on social media is for safety protocols to be approved by licensing companies in order to secure rights to do the show.”

“If you’re the leader of a community theatre and you care about its financial survival, do not let Richard Bento near it. After an explosive report by Boston’s NPR radio station, Bento’s trail of taking advantage of community theatres, and those who work within them, has finally been exposed.”

“On Aug 2nd, the North Platte Community Playhouse(NPCP) concluded its run of Mamma Mia. Two weeks later, 24 members of the cast and crew have tested positive for COVID-19. Serious questions of how this happened are now being asked to NPCP officials who promised they were taking precautions despite there being evidence to the contrary.”

“A Nebraska community theatre decided to go on with their summer production of ‘Mamma Mia’ despite the current health crisis and now 24 of the show’s cast and crew have tested positive for COVID-19.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re from a town of 100 people and you have one stoplight in the middle of town…theatre can live.”

“To have a great show you’ll obviously need great actors, but so many other components go into a quality level production. Regardless of your budget, talent, script, or venue, paying attention to these details will put a crisp and classy touch to your show.”

“We in community theaters have incredibly talented participants who are as dedicated to the craft as anyone attempting to make a go of it in this sacred world of make-believe and story-telling.”

So maybe your next season includes a musical or play that calls for real animals and you’re a little worried. As humans, we can’t be in control of an animal’s every move. What we can do is make sure our show is respectful, safe, and well prepared. If you’re a community theatre looking into a play that requires animals, you might need some additional support.

“Following Hairspray’s lead, it’s time for licensing companies to work with authors to implement casting requirements for roles of color. These roles were written for specific BIPOC’s and should be guaranteed to be portrayed that way.”

“Asking performers to complete a reasonable amount of preparation before auditioning only helps us see who can rise to the occasion. We all have bad days and bad auditions but that doesn’t mean that accompanists are the problem.”

“Theatre is already full of social justice hypocrisies. We make cast members sign forms committing to an absolute rejection of inequity-based bullying while simultaneously listing the colors of leather Capezio character shoes the actors will be expected to provide for themselves. Track-based auditions are a no-brainer step in the right direction: a simultaneous concession to modernity, move towards inclusion, and advantage in terms of finances and convenience to struggling community theatres.”

So your friend has auditioned for your show.

Before casting them in the role that they have written down on the audition form, go through this checklist to make sure you’re not practicing nepotism, which in the workplace, is illegal!