Our Response to COVID-19

A long overdue status update from the Rousties:

It’s been over a year since plans started getting cancelled, employees were sent home, and lockdowns became the norm. A year since indoor theatre, concerts, weddings, and other events could bring us together in shared experiences. A year since rehearsals were meant to begin for Roustabout’s 2020 season. In many ways, the past year has flown by. In many others, it’s felt like an eternity.

So what have we been up to for the past year? To put it quite simply, we’ve been surviving. We were able to cancel both of our productions last season prior to accruing many expenses, and for that we count ourselves fortunate. We watched as many of our fellow theatres created digital experiences and have truly admired the creativity and work involved to keep audiences connected for the past year. 

At the same time, we recognized our limited resources: we are a team of volunteers, we do not have a venue of our own, and as a young company we have limited financial assets. As we saw many other companies change course into virtual programming, we decided to reserve our funds for when we could return to the stage. We greatly admire the work that so many artists have done during the past year, and we appreciate all of your patience while we’ve remained backstage.

Yet there was still plenty of work to be done, the most critical of which was research into and self-reflection about systemic racism in the arts. We are incredibly grateful to each and every person who has shared their stories, spoken out against injustice, and taken the time and energy to educate others. We would especially like to thank Ashley Lyle, Dan Johnson, and the entire team at BLAQN for hosting excellent learning workshops, which multiple members of our team were able to attend (there’s another coming up soon). And we are excited to officially add an Anti-Racism statement to our website and strategic plan. 

While we are still figuring out our next steps, we look forward to bringing these lessons and important changes with us when we return to the stage.

We miss you, we will keep you updated, and we can’t wait to see you at the circus again soon.

What Happened to our 2020 Season?

In December 2019, we announced our season for 2020 – a return to the YES [Ypsi Experimental Space] venue with two world premieres by Michigan playwrights. We were especially proud that both scripts had originally been read as part of our Crooked Tree Play Festivals in our early years.

Our original season lineup:

We Rousties feel incredibly fortunate that we were able to adapt our season prior to ticket sales or production work. We were able to give notice to our artists and venue, and called for the cancellation of CHASING CLOUDS even before adapt and prepare for Michigan’s Stay at Home order was announced. The first production of our 2020 season wasn’t due to hit the stage until May, yet we made the decision in March, for the safety of our team and for our audiences.

We held out hope throughout the summer of 2020 that we might still be able to stage the production of SHADOW CALLS planned for that Fall. However, as summer came to an end with no indication when venues would be able to reopen for indoor theatre, that too was cancelled.

Both productions of our 2020 season have officially been cancelled and postponed for when we can return to the stage. While it is not yet clear what theatre will look like in the wake of COVID-19, and what restrictions may be in place, we are optimistic that we will be able to return to the stage next year, even for small audiences.

It is our top priority that we continue to plan our next steps out of an abundance of safety, while prioritizing giving ample notice to the artists and audiences impacted. We take pride in providing paying jobs to actors and designers in Southeast Michigan, and are committed to reserving their positions for them once we return to work.

One of our favorite things about the YES venue is the intimacy – audiences truly experience the play together, aware of one another’s laughter, gasps, discomfort, etc. However, such close quarters make social distancing an impossibility. As we prepare to return to the stage, we will use state, federal, and CDC guidelines to ensure we do so safely for everyone involved. There is no question that this will involve changes to how we operate, and we will continue to update this page as these plans come together.

CHASING CLOUDS by Michael Herman: A fantasy. Earl and Joanne have been running their farm for many a year. But they don’t raise crops or livestock…they farm the very clouds themselves, for their precious silver linings. Sadly, the farm is on its last leg, and after a machinery accident, so is Earl. Joanne finds herself torn between her loyalty to the man she loves and the truth that’s on the horizon. She has an idea about how to move forward, with the help of their next door neighbor, but Earl isn’t going to like it. 

SHADOW CALLS by Megan Richards: A horror play. A weekend camping trip turns sinister for young couple Holly and Thomas, when Holly begins hearing voices calling to her from the forest. Meanwhile, forest rangers Quinn and Harrison are discovering the woods are not as peaceful as they thought, as something in the darkness begins to stir. 

Thank you for your support and understanding this year. We are blown away by the donations and kind messages we have received (including through Virtual Trivia for Detroit Arts). We miss each and every one of you, and look forward to sharing stories around the campfire again soon!

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