The show must go on, but in a different way.
Scranton Shakespeare Festival organizers announced today that it is canceling its live performances for the 2020 season.
“The health and safety of all who attend our shows, those who work to create them and those who perform in them is of paramount importance to us and we cannot in good faith continue under the current circumstances,” they said in an announcement.
Instead, the festival plans “to adapt our intended programming into something we can offer you from the safety and comfort of your own homes this summer.”
“The decision to withdraw from producing our live performances opens up new possibilities for our ninth season, and we’re looking to experiment with a series of radio plays and podcasts to be released over the same time we’d be performing for you,” organizers added. “This will mean that our 2020 company of actors will all be engaging with us as voiceover artists! Stay tuned to our emails and our social media outlets over the coming weeks to keep yourself updated.”
The festival noted that the change is temporary and that it will return in 2021 for its 10th season.
Last month, the festival canceled in-person auditions for its season, which was to include the shows “The Wizard of Oz,” “Henry IV,” “The Humans,” “The Real Merry Wives of Windsor” and “Billy Elliot.”
Caitlin Heaney West is the content editor for Access NEPA and oversees the Early Access blog in addition to working as a copy editor and staff writer for The Times-Tribune. An award-winning journalist, she is a summa cum laude graduate of Shippensburg University and also earned a master’s degree from Marywood University. Caitlin joined the Times-Shamrock family in 2009 and lives in Scranton. Contact: cwest@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107; or @cheaneywest
