Summer Breaks: How Arts Festivals Are Coping With Cancellationv

By Kate Mazade | American Theatre | May 15, 2020

Arts fests from Wisconsin to S.C. may survive a summer of virtual connection and outreach, but lean times are ahead for the towns where they take place.

Among the many shutdowns and changed plans required by the coronavirus pandemic, some of the most painful for theatre enthusiasts are the cancellations of summer arts festivals, whose plans for the warmer months have changed abruptly from strolling in the sun between performances to finding other travel and arts options, if any, closer to home. As the pandemic continues, these cancellations affect not only patrons but also artists, local businesses, and in some cases the festivals’ future viability.

Some have been able to reschedule: Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) in Shepherdstown, W. Va., has moved its four-week 2020 season to July 2021, postponing its 30th-anniversary repertory of six new American plays for another year. Other theatres, such as the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and American Players Theatre (APT) have elected to suspend summer festival programming out of concerns for public health. Patrons across the country are parsing through their options to either donate the value of their tickets back to the respective theatres, receive a credit for next year, or receive a refund.

Many organizations are producing alternative virtual programming to continue to engage artists and patrons throughout the shutdowns. The International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, Conn., is rolling out an entirely virtual festival, which began at the end of April and continues through the end of June.

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