Long Wharf Theatre Releases Statement About Season

Patch has reported that Long Wharf Theatre has released the following statement about their season:

Social distancing is not easy. As humans we are hard-wired for meaningful connection. But like all of you, we at Long Wharf Theatre are adjusting to a new normal while staying hopeful that brighter days are ahead. We are sending this letter to say that we are thinking of you and your loved ones. We also want to update you on our work and how we are planning for our future as we navigate this devastating crisis.

As we shared earlier, to ensure the health and safety of our staff, artists, supporters, and loyal audiences, we made the painful but necessary decision to cancel Lloyd Suh's The Chinese Lady and Lauren Yee's The Great Leap, along with our education and community programs. We hope to find ways to honor the many artists whose talents were unable to be showcased on our stage and we are diligently exploring opportunities to highlight their extraordinary contributions to the American theatre.

As our stages remain dark, we are discovering new pathways to keep connected. You can keep the spark of theatre alive by reading one of the many five- to ten-minute plays that we and other theatres have commissioned from today's most exciting playwrights. Go to playathome.org and download some scripts to read aloud, perhaps with your family. We have also revived The Loading Dock, coming to you by email every other Wednesday. Finally, we are supporting Greater New Haven's first responders and medical community. We donated our inventory of gloves and masks to local hospitals and health care facilities, shifting materials typically used to create sets and costumes to protect those on the frontline.

While we continue to find the silver linings where we can, Long Wharf Theatre has not been immune to some difficult repercussions due to COVID-19. With the cancellation of our 2019/20 season and our 2020 Gala celebration-the biggest fundraiser of our year-we are projecting a loss of more than $750,000. We had to make the heartbreaking decision to undertake a combination of staffing changes-eliminating positions, furloughing some, and cutting hours of others-to ensure our fiscal solvency. Your support of Long Wharf Theatre is essential in this moment. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to sustain our operations and ensure that we can thrive when we are able to reopen and bring you our ambitious and exciting 2020/21 season when it is safe to do so.

We eagerly await the opportunity to welcome you back to our beloved Long Wharf Theatre. Great theatre doesn't happen without you, so together in community we will rise to these challenges and create boundary breaking theatre that underscores our human connection.

Thank you again for standing with us; your support has never been more heartfelt and valued.

With immense gratitude,

Jacob G. Padrón
Artistic Director

Kit Ingui
Managing Director

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