Shanghai theaters seeking to maintain audience connection amid pandemic

Amid the recent resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, theaters across Shanghai are taking measures to not only contain the fallout from the suspension of their operations but also maintain connection with audiences.

To satisfy theatergoers' thirst for performances, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, for instance, has made nine of its self-produced works available online since last weekend. Viewers are able to watch a different play for free every evening for nine days in a row through online platforms.

"Theater suspension not only causes economic losses, but also affects theater staff and regular theatergoers' life," said Zhang Huiqing, general manager of the art center.

"Some people fall into low spirits, especially those in quarantine. We hope the online screening can help enrich citizens' quarantine life and maintain the connection between theaters and audiences," she added.

The nine works are high-definition recordings of the center's previous performances. The first two plays "Uncle Vanya" and "The School for Wives" received 446,000 and 254,000 online views, respectively.

Credit: Ti Gong

Some viewers left comments about the plays and expressed their eagerness to return to the theater soon.

"Despite the introduction of online screening, we all agree that theater's charm still lies in live performances," said Zhang. "We hope the screenings can help attract more fans who will be willing to visit theaters when the pandemic eases."

The city's major theaters have announced the cancellation or postponement of performances scheduled for March.

The Shanghai Grand Theater canceled 21 performances of seven productions, as well as its art salon and educational activities.

Grand Theater staff take nucleic acid tests once a week to ensure safety while dealing with ticket refund requirements.

Credit: Ti Gong

The Shanghai Oriental Art Center has canceled or postponed 15 productions in 19 performances so far. Its monthly membership activity will be held online next month.

The Shanghai International Dance Center has canceled three dance productions in nine performances.

The Shanghai Culture Square, however, is relatively less affected, as it is undergoing the annual theater maintenance this month.

While state-owned theaters are being patient amid the suspension, some private performance producers and festival organizers are having a relatively harder time, even before this new round of outbreak in Shanghai.

Veteran art festival curator Crystal Deng said in a previous interview that the pandemic and cancellation of performances have put some industry practitioners, especially creators and producers, under long-term risk.

"The tricky part is not the cancellation itself, but the timing," said Deng. "For creators and producers, most of their time and funds have already been spent to get a production ready. But, in the current situation, cancellations are usually announced on short notice, causing big loss to investors."

Also, different cities and regions have different management and quarantine policies, making national tours risky and costly for troupes. The uncertainties and time spent in getting refunds might also greatly impact audiences.

Shanghai is a pioneer in maintaining cultural activities, including the staging of performances, amid the long-term fight against the pandemic.

While fully supporting the anti-pandemic measures, Deng thinks China's performance industry practitioners face new challenges.

"Apart from creation, producers need to pay more attention to risk control. It's a new topic and challenge for us in the next two to three years," she pointed out.