Elm Street Adjusts Spring Theatre Lineup with Focus on Small and Streamed Offerings

Due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) concerns surrounding mass gatherings and in order to produce their productions well, safely, responsibly, and feasibly, Elm Street Cultural Arts Village has announced additional updates to their scheduled programming. "While we are cautiously optimistic for the coming months, we want to ensure that when we provide our programs we are still showing stewardship of this community's support," explains Christopher Brazelton, Elm Street's Executive Director. "The staff has been incredibly creative and come up with some fantastic plans to move some of our programs forward, but unfortunately, the theatre season in particular proves to be precarious financially. For now, the environment to best tell these fantastic stories is not the safest environment for our audiences."

The Woodstock-based non-profit arts center has made the following adjustments to its spring theatrical programming:

• Small, safe, and spaced monthly comedy nights with iThink Improv Troupe as well as guest comedians hosted by Jessica It's All Good have been added now through July that include digital streaming options.
• The musical Freaky Friday has moved to 3/11 - 3/14 due to current COVID-19 cases locally and state-wide and will include a condensed rehearsal and performance schedule.
• The play 26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa has been postponed to a later season, to be determined due to COVID-19 data spikes and logistics surrounding an extended rehearsal and performance schedule.
• Sister Act, a musical based on the popular Whoopi Goldberg film, has been postponed to a later season, to be determined due to COVID-19 data spikes and logistics surrounding an extended rehearsal and performance schedule.

"We do look forward to producing these and other shows that we've postponed and using these stories to positively impact our community as they have for years," Brazelton adds.

Elm Street has contacted all impacted ticket buyers explaining the situation and have offered options to hold, exchange, or donate the value of their ticket(s) as a tax-deductible donation. "Future programming not mentioned and on our website is still planned," Marketing Manager Justin Spainhour-Roth explains. "We are closely monitoring COVID-19 data and are working diligently to ensure proper social distancing guidelines are met for the health, safety, and comfort of all audience members, volunteers, staff, and artists for the events we can safely control through limited in-person audiences, live stream options, and thorough healthy and safety procedures."

Elm Street will continue to provide updates on how the outbreak impacts the rest of their

programming and the most up-to-date information will be available on their social media as well as the following website link: https://elmstreetarts.org/spring-2021-update-on-programming-during-covid-19/