Tabard Theatre Company Fights to Create Streaming Productions Amidst Santa Clara County Guidelines

Tabard Theatre Company is hoping to be able to continue creating livestreaming productions while also complying with Santa Clara County's COVID-19 restrictions, Mercury News reports.

The company recently transformed the 150-seat venue into a studio, in which 11 live-streamed performances of "Looking Over the President's Shoulder," a one-man show starring James Creer, were created.

However, after the production closed, a complaint was filed with Santa Clara County, saying that Tabard was violating the county's health order that forced indoor theaters to close.

Jonathan Rhys Williams, who took over as executive artistic director of Tabard Theatre Company in July, said that they were not operating as a live theater, but rather more like a television station.

"If we were trying to be a live theater and have an audience, that would absolutely be against the rules. But what we are trying to do is have a very different business model," Williams said. "The last thing we want is for someone to become sick because of working with us."

Williams is now just looking for guidance on how to proceed. The company was already forced to cancel a performance by the Dirty Downtown Jazz Syndicate that was planned for Saturday night.

Actors are currently in virtual rehearsals for Tabard's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace: A Live Radio Play," which is scheduled to open Sept. 18.

"We need to get this solved before then," Williams said. "We're in a real vulnerable position. We didn't have a lot of money to invest in this equipment to begin with, and we don't want to have to put it all on the shelf and watch it collect dust."

Read more on Mercury News.