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After waiting more than a year for guidance from the state of California on when and how they can reopen, live theaters finally received a detailed plan on Friday that goes into effect today.
The guidelines offered instructions on how theaters can immediately begin producing outdoor shows for a live audience. But the devil is in the details of the 18-page document. Only certain outdoor venues qualify for live performance under the guidelines. And under the maximum 20 percent capacity allowed under San Diego County’s current red-tier restriction, most professional theaters can’t afford to produce a show. Meanwhile, new COVID safety requirements released by Actor’s Equity, the labor union for theater actors, and the state’s AB 5 law for gig workers, may make it prohibitively expensive to hire performers.