The Public Theater To Now Require Negative Test Along With Vaccination

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:05pm

Playbill Link

I understand why they’re doing this, but I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of cancellations over it, especially with home tests almost impossible to find. 

Updated On: 12/18/21 at 01:05 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:19pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Playbill Link

Today understand why they’re doing this, but I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of cancellations over this especially with home tests almost impossible to find."

The last time I got a test at CityMD it took 2 hours to wait for the test and 5 days to get the results back.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:20pm

It's going to mean a lot of cancellations even if there wasn't a testing shortage - people popping positive and then needing their money back. Beats the alternative, of course. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:22pm

I understand it, but these COVID tests aren't free. So this is now an added cost to the ticket.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:24pm

And a hell of a lot of added stress. Since this has to be 24 hours before showtime, I’m curious what their refund policy is, if you’re waiting for test results and don’t have them 5 mins before showtime. 

[midorigal]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:26pm

I get it but that does not seem to be any notice at all? Do they have any show running at all currently? For example, for our upcoming trip, we were going to get Sandra Bernhard’s residency show at Joe’s Pub but decided against it. We did pre-purchase 7 other shows at various other theatres if they all decide to implement this last minute and we still decide to come even taking the chance on cancellations (between Christmas/New Year’s) trying to get tested 24 hrs will prove to be a challenge. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:31pm

People won't be willing to do this unless it's seriously worth it. So, unless they have a Hamilton on their hands currently, most people won't care to stand in a line for hours on end when they are vaccinated. 

[adotburr]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:34pm

Sutton Ross said: "People won't be willing to do this unless it's seriously worth it. So, unless they have a Hamilton on their hands currently, most people won't care to stand in a line for hours on end when they are vaccinated."

Hamilton is the only show I would do this for. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:41pm

Yet you can still eat and drink in certain areas.

Updated On: 12/18/21 at 01:41 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:42pm

I honestly can't think of any show or live experience I would do this for - extra time, stress, money... I get they're trying to be safe, but I think this is just ultimately going to result in a lot of people deciding not to go to shows at The Public. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:45pm

This seems to be a prime example of great intention, terrible execution.

Working as a nurse in a hospital, I already know from the past that the labs are going to be overrun with tests to such an extent that there is no reasonable way one could get anything but a DIY Binax Rapid Test back in under 24 hours. And even at that, the theatre probably won’t accept a home test (unless you do it right in front of them - again, absurd in concept).

Even if the window expanded to 72 hours, you are still cutting it relatively close. And as someone else mentioned, the costs are already exorbitant because capitalism needs its cut in a crisis. I see a lot of refunds to the Public coming their way

[Huss417]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:48pm

I think with the lack of testing available without looking at least 4 to 6 days out and then hoping the results will come back is becoming pretty much slim to nothing.

Ran into it this week with my niece leaving for the UK. No one could guarantee the results back in 24-48 hours.

She ended up taking the test at JFK and want to say it was around $250.00 i believe. I could be off on the exact amount but it was close to this.

[midorigal]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:48pm

Well I’d do it for the Music Man and our tickets are for Christmas Day and we fly in Christmas Eve let’s hope that theatre doesn’t do a last minute implement. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 1:48pm

This seems to be a prime example of great intention, terrible execution.

100%

[Sauja]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 2:14pm

I’m still waiting on a PCR result that I wanted in line for three hours to get on Thursday. I think the intention behind this is fabulous, but it’s going to be very difficult to implement unless the availability of testing goes way up in the near future. The lines all around the city are overwhelming, and frankly, I’m more worried about having caught covid in line (I was fully masked and vaxed and boosted, but still) than I was worried about having it to begin with. It’s a really difficult moment, and I don’t think anyone has all the right answers right now. The safest thing would be to close everything down for two weeks. But that puts a lot of people in financial risk, and I don’t know if it will happen. Fingers crossed that we get through this as safely and quickly as possible.

[brdway411]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 2:42pm

ACL2006 said: "I understand it, but these COVID tests aren't free. So this is now an added cost to the ticket."

Covid tests are free all over the city. Recently used the Times Square testing to fly to Europe. Free and has results in 30 minutes for antigen and 24 hours for PCR. All delivered to my phone. Easy. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 2:47pm

ACL2006 said: "I understand it, but these COVID tests aren't free. So this is now an added cost to the ticket."

Wrong. A simple Google search will tell you the many places offering free testing. 

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 3:19pm

I live in NJ and wanted to get tested before an event today as a precaution (I am boosted, I have no symptoms and to my knowledge no exposure). I looked Thursday for appointments at several different Walgreens AND CVS pharmacies and they had 0 available for PCR or a rapid test until Monday. So, I booked Monday anyway but… really not easy to get outside of NYC; this has been the case for a few weeks now - impossible to get day of appointments.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 4:52pm

I was thinking about going to that Kylie Jenner UTR show but not anymore. 

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 4:58pm

Genuine question (I moved out of NYC during quarantine so haven't been as "up" on the city's COVID rules as I used to be). How does planning ahead affect the testing situation? ie, if you know you've got a show January 2, will booking a testing appointment for the 1 still result in the massive lines? I've - so far still - got a party on NYE which will require a negative test, but so far most of the places I'm looking at aren't booking that far in advance yet.

As for here in central Connecticut, I'm chalking the testing backlog up to people wanting to get tested before Christmas. There seems to be a sharp increase in appointment availability after the 25.

[George in DC]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 8:42pm

No.

 

As simple as that.

[James885]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 9:23pm

Agree that this requirement is most definitely not sustainable on Broadway (and maybe not anywhere). It requires a degree of advance planning that is extraordinarily inconvenient for the majority of patrons. What happens if / when test results are delayed & audience members who have paid good money suddenly find themselves denied admittance? Or as others have mentioned, audience members are unable to land an appointment for a test within 24 hours of their performance?

Updated On: 12/18/21 at 09:23 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 9:24pm

If they enact this on Broadway it's the end of it for awhile. 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 12/18/21 at 10:28pm

As a sign of how bad things are with testing, the testing tent outside my Rite Aid was lined up around the block and it was raining today. This isn't feasible until tests are more readily available. 

[jdrye222]

Posted: 12/19/21 at 1:26am

This is actually wildly impractical, but worse, it really does such a disservice to the Public Theater overall …. I get it that people are scared (though I really have been astonished by the fear-based nonsense in the media having such sway …. Especially since by now we need to accept that this virus is part of life now, and the fact that this “variant” seems to be mild). But this is total overreach, and I predict that in the next few days, they will either close the Public Theater for weeks or the Public will reverse their plan on this policy.