A.R.T. and Healthy Buildings Program At Harvard Chan School Collaborate In Response To COVID-19

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University and researchers from the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health announced today that they are collaborating to develop a roadmap for recovery and resilience for theater in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by A.R.T. Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Dr. Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard Chan School and director of the Healthy Buildings program, this interdisciplinary collaboration will model the use of translational science to develop principles and general guidance that address the particular challenges the theater faces as a result of the pandemic. The A.R.T. will offer its planning and activities as a case study for the field.

The Roadmap to Recovery and Resilience for Theater will be a living document hosted on the A.R.T.'s website for theaters across the country and around the world to access. Guided by principles of placing health and safety first and a dynamic approach that responds to changing conditions, the roadmap will address areas such as rehearsal and performance practice; audience interactions, including ticketing, restrooms, and concessions; back-of-house operations; and overall healthy building strategies. The Roadmap will also offer ideas for pivoting to new models, including outdoor experiences. The initial framework will be available online at americanrepertorytheater.org/public-health-update in the coming weeks. It will be continuously updated as the science evolves.

"The question of how the theater can safely come back is our field's most pressing challenge," said Paulus. "As the professional theater at Harvard, the A.R.T. is uniquely positioned to collaborate with the University's research community to address this crisis. I am deeply grateful to Joe and his team for their collaboration to iterate a plan so that we can once again experience theater's healing power, which I believe we need now more than ever before."

"This is an all-in moment for the world, and the arts have a critical role to play in our recovery," said Allen. "I share Diane's passion and sense of responsibility to leverage two of Harvard's strengths-arts and health science-to provide a path forward for theater. To get there, we will draw on decades of research and practice on how to keep people safe as we consider how to effectively minimize the risk of disease transmission in ways that will allow theaters to continue their work."