NEA Actors Equity 

Kate Shindle: If there was an industry that was tailor-made to be shut down by a highly contagious pandemic, it's live performance, where you not only have close contact and nothing like social distancing when we're doing it right, but then you're adding in 1500 people to the building's ventilation system when it's time to do the show. 

Greg Reiner. If you look at the grosses, the commercial theater’s actually doing close to where they were pre-pandemic in a way that the nonprofit theater is still struggling. I think part of that is the nonprofits are trying to do more than just provide entertainment value to their communities. Anchor regional theaters are trying to do something for their community that is not just a play on a stage, not just a fun night out, although it will be a fun night out. But they are trying to have education programs. They're deeply invested in their local communities. Their spaces are open. Many theaters use their spaces for COVID vaccination sites, as one example. They're really partnering with their local communities and in a way that is super important to support, and just for us all to be aware of.