Due to COVID-19, we are canceling the final two shows of our 2019-20 season: RROAPS/RRADS and GUYS AND DOLLS.
I just got off the phone with Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune, probably the most prolific critic writing these days. Not unexpectedly, he is worried. Theatre is dark in our major cities. Broadway closed for a month. This puts actors, designers, and crews out of work, many without a pay check.
Although our entire country, especially the service industry, will be struggling to find the means to live financially in the upcoming weeks, art is going to take a hit.
At universities, though, especially Texas Tech, we are doing our best to find the silver lining moving forward, embracing on line education as a means to convey information, and already, several groups have formed nationally to share ideas about how best to teach technique and performance on line. Our President, Provost, and Dean have been incredibly proactive, sharing ways to best teach our faculty innovative means of digital communication, and we are prepared to stretch the boundaries of traditional education. Because of our university's vision and the talent of the faculty and staff of our School, education in theatre and dance this semester will have integrity.
Our students will not suffer.
Due to COVID-19, we are canceling the final two shows of our 2019-20 season: RROAPS/RRADS and GUYS AND DOLLS. Although we regret the inconvenience this will cause, we want to make certain that our students and patrons are safe and healthy.
As you can imagine, our students are disappointed. Not only have they been rehearsing these new plays and the musical ahead, but they crave the idea of an audience. Students depend on performance for their education, from theses and thesis projects to experience on stage. The School of Theatre and Dance is committed, in these challenging times, and we will find the most creative means of teaching performance in a new platform. And we will serve all of our students, using methods that will open new vistas.
We remain hopeful that both WildWind Performance Lab, this June, and the Marfa Intensive this July/August, will proceed as planned. We will certainly keep you abreast. We thank you in advance for understanding, and look forward to your joining us for our 2020-21 season!