Theater and live entertainment is an art form that brings people together, but sadly during the recent times, it is also an industry that has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, when social distancing requirements and large gathering restrictions make such performances difficult if not impossible.
Locally, the Holland Theatre stage has set dark since state-mandated closing in mid-March. However, today in a collaborative effort alongside other venues across Ohio, the theater is calling for area residents to contact their state representatives to urge support of the national Save Our Stages Act and the RESTART Act, both of which would provide a lifeline to performance venues across the country, Holland Theatre Managing Director Chris Westhhoff said Tuesday.
“We were one of the first places to close during the pandemic, and will be one of the last to re-open. We’ve joined together as a member of the National Independent Venue Association, a group of 2,000 studios, clubs and other venues across all 50 states, to voice our concerns and help to relay the importance of this industry and the trickle down effect it has to the economy.”
NIVA reports that entertainment venues drive significant spending at other businesses, as much as $12 for every dollar spent on a ticket in small music venues to $5 million a month in economic impact from larger regional centers.
“In cities and towns across America restaurants, bars, hotels, airports, taxis, and retail shops, our communities will suffer without these significant economic drivers,” according to www.nivassoc.org.
If passed by Congress, Save Our Stages would provide $10 billion in grants to independent clubs and stages across the U.S.
The bipartisan act led by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and H.R. 7806 led by Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Roger Williams (R-Texas) proposes that eligible recipients would receive a grant for no greater than 45 percent of gross revenue from 2019 or $12 million, whichever is less.
The grant funding may be used for expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and ending Dec. 31, 2020, including expenses for payroll and benefits, rent, utilities, mortgage interest payments, interest payments, insurance, PPE, existing loans and other business expenses.
The RESTART Act led by Senators Todd Young (R-Indiana) and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), and H.R. 7481 led by Representatives Michael Kelly and Jared Golden, and other like-minded proposals tailor the PPP program to work for shuttered businesses that have zero revenue, high overhead and no clear timeline for reopening.
Individuals who are interested in voicing their support to legislators can fill out a form on the NIVA’s website under the “Take Action” section.
During the months ahead at the Holland Theatre, Westhoff said while full-seated auditorium events likely will not be possible, the theater is working on a socially distanced seating chart and the possibility of being able to host smaller-scale events with limited capacity if the local COVID-19 cases begin to trend downward.
“We’re in constant communication with our regional partners around the state, to stay in step with each other and what everyone is doing,” he said. “We could see possibly hosting smaller shows, and maybe having two shows in the same day. There are many logistics and details to be worked out for that.
“Like others who work in this field, we often get into the industry for a few reasons — a love of live performance, music and entertainment; and the gathering and camaraderie that it facilities. There is a definitely a big absence now that we are not hosting these performances. We eagerly await the time when we can safety welcome audiences back to the Holland Theatre.”