Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
CMU School of Drama
Thursday, September 02, 2021
16 St. Louis arts organizations join growing list requiring vaccinations or negative tests
Arts and theater | stltoday.com: Sixteen St. Louis arts organizations and venues have banded together to require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test to attend or participate in indoor events. The policy, announced Wednesday, covers patrons, artists, staff and volunteers.
The idea of proving vaccination to gain the privilege to participate in something is not new. States have been requiring vaccinations since the 1850s. That is 171 years ago. There were only 72 years of the United States where no vaccines were mandatory. This debate of whether or not getting vaccinated is within our rights is a debate that is only happening because of how the pandemic was handled and by who. Herd immunity is wildly important for everyone but especially when there are some people who are unable to get vaccinated because of underlying health conditions. Theatre accessibility is something that this industry struggles with. Adding on that some people won’t be able to attend theatre because other people won’t get vaccinated is a step in the wrong direction. I believe that it is entirely within the rights of theatre companies to decide their vaccination status and those who do not follow the rules will be restricted from those opportunities.
I'm so glad our arts communities are taking these steps to protect the people that are apart of them. Vaccine mandates and mask requirements are the most effective steps to stop the spread right now and I'm glad St. Louis is taking them. One of the things that I especially appreciate is having an ID to match your vaccine card name. That's a really effective measure because of how many stories I heard at Lollapalooza of people acquiring fake vaccine cards in order to get entry into the festival, which honestly is quite scary as someone going to an event. However, requiring ID's would both reduce the chance of someone being able to get away with a fake vaccine card and also can help be used as an age verifier to get into bars. This would be an amazing reassurance to both partygoers and promoters to have a better understanding that everyone is of age AND vaccinated, so I'm excited that St. Louis has taken this step as a community.
This is an important big step towards preventing the spread of COVID. As stadiums, theatres, museums and other large event spaces begin to open again, they become potential centers of disease. Big unvaccinated groups of people in one place spells disaster for all the work we’ve already done, and that’s why it’s so important that these venues police who can enter. Limiting audiences to people who’ve been vaccinated and tested not only prevents the spread of the virus, but encourages people to get vaccinated and get tested. So it’s heartening to see not just one institution put this into practice, but a whole coalition of them in St. Louis. Hopefully this starts a trend that spreads to other cities around the nation, so that the arts can continue to be practiced safely and without fear of disease.
I was raised in St. Louis and have been so happy to see so many organizations requiring proof of vaccination and/or a negative test. Other than the Fabulous Fox (our touring house), every single theater in St. Louis I have been to is on this list. A ton of St. Louis bars and restaurants are enforcing the same requirements. Theaters, bars, and restaurants were hit hardest by the pandemic and cannot afford another closure. I really hope other major cities take note of this strategy and implement similar rules. It is possible some people will choose not to patron a bar they used to enjoy because they disagree with the policy, but my family has made a running list of these businesses that we deem safe to go to because of these requirements and will prioritize going to them. I think people are going to remember which companies chose to prioritize safety in this way and continue to support them even when covid is not as much of a present threat.
4 comments:
The idea of proving vaccination to gain the privilege to participate in something is not new. States have been requiring vaccinations since the 1850s. That is 171 years ago. There were only 72 years of the United States where no vaccines were mandatory. This debate of whether or not getting vaccinated is within our rights is a debate that is only happening because of how the pandemic was handled and by who. Herd immunity is wildly important for everyone but especially when there are some people who are unable to get vaccinated because of underlying health conditions. Theatre accessibility is something that this industry struggles with. Adding on that some people won’t be able to attend theatre because other people won’t get vaccinated is a step in the wrong direction. I believe that it is entirely within the rights of theatre companies to decide their vaccination status and those who do not follow the rules will be restricted from those opportunities.
I'm so glad our arts communities are taking these steps to protect the people that are apart of them. Vaccine mandates and mask requirements are the most effective steps to stop the spread right now and I'm glad St. Louis is taking them. One of the things that I especially appreciate is having an ID to match your vaccine card name. That's a really effective measure because of how many stories I heard at Lollapalooza of people acquiring fake vaccine cards in order to get entry into the festival, which honestly is quite scary as someone going to an event. However, requiring ID's would both reduce the chance of someone being able to get away with a fake vaccine card and also can help be used as an age verifier to get into bars. This would be an amazing reassurance to both partygoers and promoters to have a better understanding that everyone is of age AND vaccinated, so I'm excited that St. Louis has taken this step as a community.
This is an important big step towards preventing the spread of COVID. As stadiums, theatres, museums and other large event spaces begin to open again, they become potential centers of disease. Big unvaccinated groups of people in one place spells disaster for all the work we’ve already done, and that’s why it’s so important that these venues police who can enter. Limiting audiences to people who’ve been vaccinated and tested not only prevents the spread of the virus, but encourages people to get vaccinated and get tested. So it’s heartening to see not just one institution put this into practice, but a whole coalition of them in St. Louis. Hopefully this starts a trend that spreads to other cities around the nation, so that the arts can continue to be practiced safely and without fear of disease.
I was raised in St. Louis and have been so happy to see so many organizations requiring proof of vaccination and/or a negative test. Other than the Fabulous Fox (our touring house), every single theater in St. Louis I have been to is on this list. A ton of St. Louis bars and restaurants are enforcing the same requirements. Theaters, bars, and restaurants were hit hardest by the pandemic and cannot afford another closure. I really hope other major cities take note of this strategy and implement similar rules. It is possible some people will choose not to patron a bar they used to enjoy because they disagree with the policy, but my family has made a running list of these businesses that we deem safe to go to because of these requirements and will prioritize going to them. I think people are going to remember which companies chose to prioritize safety in this way and continue to support them even when covid is not as much of a present threat.
Post a Comment