Bloomsburg (PA) — The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble has announced that it has indefinitely postponed its production of Chelsea Marcantel’s play Airness, which was to have opened on March 26th, and the musical revue Broadway in Bloom, which was to have opened on April 30th.
Production of the play Luna Gale, which was to have run May 28 – June 14th, has been canceled for this season.
“The decision to postpone Airness was a particularly heartfelt and difficult one,” said Jon White-Spunner, Managing Director of BTE. “The actors have completed several weeks of rehearsals, the set is built and is onstage, costumes and props are almost complete, and the show was just about to begin technical rehearsals in anticipation of opening on March 26 as planned.”
“But out of consideration for the health and safety of our cast, crew, staff, and audience, and in light of the Governor’s request on March 16th that non-essential businesses close for 14 days, and given uncertainties about what may happen after March 30, we felt we had a duty to postpone Airness and Broadway in Bloom,” White-Spunner said.
White-Spunner said that new dates for Airness and Broadway in Bloom will be announced at www.bte.org and the BTE Facebook page (@btensemble) when determined.
The decision to postpone its two upcoming shows and to cancel Luna Gale is fraught with financial risk for BTE. “The theatre is a business that absolutely depends on revenue from ticket sales. We can’t sell tickets to performances that can’t be open to the public.”
“BTE may be forced to make some very difficult choices with respect to the remainder of our 42nd season and the next,” White-Spunner said, “especially if managing the COVID-19 outbreak requires us to suspend live performances into the Summer and Fall.”
“But we’ve been through tough times before, and thanks in large part to the incredible support of our community, most recently evidenced during Raise the Region, we’ve made it through and with that continued support, we’ll be here for years to come.”
BTE Spring Theatre School classes will be held as scheduled unless public schools are closed on event dates. Information about the status of BTE Theatre School classes will be made available on the school’s Facebook page (@BTETheatreSchool) or parents can call BTE Education Director Abigail Leffler at 570-784-5530 ex104 for more information.
BTE will be communicating with all its subscribers, season ticket and single ticket holders with information and options regarding their ticket purchases. Ticket holders may call the BTE box office at 570-784-8181 or email [email protected] with questions.