An Update: COVID-19

May 4

Dear CNYP Family,

It’s been almost two months since we shut down and we miss all of you so much. We miss seeing you in rehearsals and in our audiences. We’ve been busy online with workshops and performances but we wanted to share an update on our plans for in-person productions.

Our current plan, provided that we can open safely and in accordance with all government and public health guidelines, is to reopen in September with our production of “The Wedding Singer” and to finish the rest of our 2020 season. This will include our productions of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, and “You Can’t Take It With You”. The production teams from these shows are continuing to meet and plan virtually. 

We take our commitment to the directors, actors, and artists who choose to work on our productions very seriously and we are making every effort to reschedule all the performances that we have had to cancel. We are working with the licensing companies to reschedule the productions of “Biloxi Blues”, “Keely and Du”, “Merrily We Roll Along”, “Oliver”, and “Love and Information” for 2021. Once we have confirmation on dates for each of these shows we will communicate this via our website and social media. 

If you’ve purchased tickets to any of our postponed productions, you will be able to use your ticket for any of that show’s performance dates in 2021. You can also exchange your ticket for a ticket to any of our 2020 shows, or donate the price of your ticket to the company to help offset the lost income we are facing this year. Please email rsvp@cnyplayhouse.org to let us know which of these options works best for you.

As we are scheduling dates for 2021 and continuing to plan for the end of 2020, we are also keeping updated on best practices and guidelines to ensure the safety and health of our artists and audiences when we are able to reopen our space. We are lucky to have a strong network of other community theatres in our area who are eager to collaborate and learn together in order to make all of our venues as safe as possible. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you for choosing to be part of our community, and we can’t wait to see you in the fall.

-The Board of CNY Playhouse

March 16

We know that the threat of COVID-19 has caused concern for all of us. You (our audiences, actors, artists, and friends) and your safety and health are very important to us, and we are monitoring the rapidly-changing state of health in our area.


The Event Safety Alliance has advised producers and presenters of events and entertainment that decisions about this public health crisis should be made on a local level in accordance with public health officials. As of today (March 12) there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Onondaga County. However, we know this situation is changing on a daily basis and we are closely monitoring any information put out by the Onondaga County Department of Health and New York State.


We plan to move forward with all planned productions unless directed otherwise by the County or the State, or unless we have an internal reason to believe that the health of our artists and audiences may be at risk. We will notify all current ticketholders as well as post notices via our website and social media letting you know of any changes.


Some changes that we’re making for the time being are temporarily eliminating table seating and implementing general admission seating in rows. This will eliminate some communal surfaces and allow you to practice whatever social distancing you are most comfortable with. We encourage you to continue to follow the guidelines put out by the CDC to slow the spread of COVID-19.


We are always more than happy to do a ticket exchange for you to another night or another show. Please, in the interest of your best health and the best health of our community, stay home if you are feeling unwell. Email rsvp@cnyplayhouse.org and we’ll gladly exchange your tickets.


Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@cnyplayhouse.org if you have any questions or concerns. We continue to be grateful for your support, encouragement, and patronage.


Best,
Abel Searor Board President
Keith Arlington Vice President
Kate Crawford Board Secretary
Elizabeth Allers Treasurer
Patricia Catchouny Production Board Liaison
Dan Randall Facilities Manager