To Mask, or Not to Mask: Theaters and Concert Halls Face a Dilemma
https://archive.ph/GCCS9#selection-295.0-298.0
The new masking policy at The Kite Runner on Broadway was devised at the doctors office.
Tracey McFarland, one of the shows producers, was taking her son to his pediatrician, a theater buff. The pediatrician told her that while he would have liked to see the play, he would not attend if masks were optional, as they are at most Broadway shows these days. That got McFarland thinking: Why couldnt they put on some performances at which masks are required, and others where masks are optional? She brought up the idea with colleagues.
Everybody on the phone was like, You know, Ive had friends who have been asking for that, McFarland said, recalling one of the conversations that led to the shows decision to start requiring masks on Fridays. We just realized that there really is an audience out there that is not being served.
The coronavirus continues to pose a dilemma for arts presenters entering their second season after the long pandemic shutdown: They know that some audience members will be deterred by mask requirements at a time when they have vanished from so many other settings, while others will be reluctant to attend indoor performances if masks are not required. Whatever they decide to do, they risk alienating some ticket buyers.