Recently with the increase of Covid cases with the delta variant. The Broadway League has announced that vaccinations are required to enter the theatres.
On August 12, the Kennedy Center and the Ford’s Theatre are among the Washington, D.C. venues who will also be requiring proof of a vaccination by anyone who enters the buildings including audience, cast, crew, and staff.
The new ruling goes into effect on September 1, 2021.
Along with a photo ID and proof of a vaccination to enter, masks will also be required in the venues except when eating or drinking in the authorized areas.
The vaccination requirement apply to performances; not the daytime visitors to the Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site or the limited public areas of the Kennedy Center including the Hall of States, Hall of Nations, Grand Foyer, the REACH, or outdoor spaces.
President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Deborah F. Rutter spoke on the new ruling saying, “our audiences have stuck by us with great solidarity over these last many months. As we welcome them back to the Kennedy Center and enjoy live performances once again, it is also our duty to ensure our patrons’ health and security, as well as the safety of our performers and staff. Working together we can get back to what we love—the arts—but we must reopen cautiously and responsibly. These new measures will reduce risk and help all arts venues maintain the forward momentum we are feeling right now.”
Ford’s Theatre Director Pau; R. Tetreault also spoke on the new mandates saying, “we have longed for the day we can safely gather again to create art, and to draw in our audiences with visceral, thought-provoking, and dazzling moments of live performance. These requirements for vaccination and masking are an added assurance of our commitment to the safety and wellness of our theatre patrons—necessary temporary measures to protect our community from contracting and spreading COVID-19.”
The Kennedy Center plans on reviewing their Covid protocols on a monthly basis; while Ford’s Theatre’s current protocols are set to run through October 31.