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For Samara Hannah and theatergoers, every show conveys a different tone from the last. Once COVID-19 hit, theatergoers could no longer experience the emotions of a live show.

After months of being unable to perform due to COVID-19 restrictions, Hannah, the executive director of Redhouse Arts Center, and the rest of her staff are preparing a return to performances with live audiences this December. The theater company is planning to showcase “Sister Act” Dec. 3-19 as its first live production in 14 months. Three additional shows are planned for the upcoming 2021-22 season, including “Macbeth” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” both slated for 2022.

The Redhouse staff chose “Sister Act,” based on the 1992 film of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg, as its first show because of its family values and familiarity among audiences. The theater hopes that the comfort of the show will help welcome audiences back to live performances.

“I think that the messages in it are just so uplifting and happy,” Hannah said. “It was just a great way to remind people of why theater is important and really just encourage people.”

When deciding on a time to reopen for this year’s theater season, Redhouse considered the previous trends of COVID-19 cases and weighed reopening against the potential for another rise in cases. Due to factors like revenue and the health of both its employees and audience members, the arts center didn’t want to risk starting the season too soon and having to postpone.

Currently, Redhouse does not plan to regularly broadcast or record plays during the 2021-22 season. Out of all the shows it has planned for the season, Redhouse would only be able to stream “Macbeth,” since Shakespeare is public domain.

The theater’s board of directors settled on starting the season in December with the hope more people would be able to get vaccinated, providing an additional layer of safety for the audience and staff.

“We’re just trying to predict through our crystal ball, which doesn’t exist and doesn’t work, what the best option would be,” Hannah said.

To prepare for the upcoming season, Redhouse is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to provide a safe viewing experience for its audience. Along with buying masks and hand sanitizer, the theater has also made plans to rope off every other row to adhere to social distancing measures.

With these measures, the theater hopes to not only protect audience members but actors as well. Redhouse has encountered little resistance to the new safety measures, Hannah said.

Maya Goosmann | Design Editor

While Redhouse performed two virtual productions, “Waiting for the Host” and “Still Waiting,” over Zoom last season, the theater staff has noticed the differences between live and virtual shows.

“There’s nothing like live theater,” said Marguerite Mitchell, the director of education at Redhouse. “It’s just different to be able to feed off the energy of the live audience in front of you.”

The theater hopes to give audiences a glimpse of normal life again after missing last year’s theater season, even if things look different with masks and social distancing protocols in place.

“One of the hidden side effects of COVID is the loss of socializing with people,” Hannah said. “Knowing that we’re part of that antidote, we’re very, very anxious to bring people back together.”

Redhouse isn’t only focused on its return to the stage, but it is also preparing for the shows scheduled later in the season. Temar Underwood, the director of Redhouse’s April run of “Macbeth,” has already thought of ideas to adjust the show for a modern and younger audience who might be confused by Shakespeare.

Redhouse Arts Center is planning four shows for its 2021-22 season, starting with “Sister Act” in December. Anya Wijeweera | Asst. Photo Editor

Although Underwood said he won’t change the language of the play, Redhouse will create visual and storytelling parallels that compliment the language and are relevant to today. For example, in Underwood’s adaptation of “Othello,” the actors used prop guns instead of prop swords.

Underwood is just as excited as other actors and theatergoers to finally see live performances come back, along with the atmosphere that can only be found at live shows — even with masks and social distancing.

“The magic of theater is in the empty space between the audience and the actor,” Underwood said. “Theater’s about sharing what it is to be a human being with another human being in a shared space, and you can’t replicate that over Zoom.”

Published on May 13, 2021 at 1:09 am

Contact Siron: sthoma10@syr.edu | @sironthomas