With no way of knowing when New York’s cultural life will resume, Lincoln Center Theater has suspended production of its summer shows.
Two plays scheduled to open in July have been postponed: Sarah Ruhl’s Becky Nurse of Salem, which Anne Kauffman was to direct in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre; and Bryna Turner’s At the Wedding, which was to be staged by Jenna Worsham in the Claire Tow. Neither had been officially announced, although LCT had posted notices online for auditions, which were held in January.
LCT spokesman Philip Rinaldi confirmed the postponements and said that the plays will be produced in the upcoming season, dates to be determined.
This follows an announcement earlier this week that LCT moved its spring shows Flying Over Sunset — by James Lapine, Tom Kitt and Michael Korie — and Ricky Ian Gordon’s operatic adaptation of Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel to the fall.
As the global Covid-19 crisis continues, the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park may also be affected. According to a casting call, the first rehearsal for Richard II, the first play booked in the Delacorte, was scheduled for April 13. Mayor Bill de Blasio said social distancing policies will remain in effect through April. A Public Theater spokeswoman didn’t return an email for comment.
Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, told members of the trade association today that she can’t predict when Broadway shows will be allowed to resume. The return date of mass gatherings in the state is up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, she said.
