Park Avenue Armory postpones socially distanced programme after performers test positive for Covid-19

The Park Avenue Armory’s refitted Wade Thompson Drill Hall
The Park Avenue Armory

The Park Avenue Armory in New York has announced that it will postpone its forthcoming season of “socially distanced performance commissions” after several performers in the inaugural event tested positive for the coronavirus. The suspension comes less than two weeks after organisers announced the new season, and as cases of Covid-19 begin to wane in the state and vaccinations become more widely available, prompting optimism for in-person arts events. While most New York museums reopened during the summer, the city’s theatres and live performance spaces have remained shut since the onset of the pandemic last year.The season was scheduled to open this week with a musical tribute to George Floyd by the choreographer Bill T. Jones and the Arnie Zane Dance Company. Members of the company tested positive during the safety testing required for all performers, crew members and staff.The progamme was slated to be held in the vast open-floored Wade Thompson Drill Hall, which was recently refitted with a new air filtration system that “exceeds the standards for pandemic filtration”, according to organisers.With the exception of two singers and a clarinetist, all audience members and staff would have been required to remain at least six feet apart and to wear masks throughout the performance. A contactless ticketing system and on-site rapid testing—in addition to a screening questionnaire 48 hours prior to the performance—also aimed to alleviate health concerns.“While this is greatly disappointing for the artists, the Armory, and our audiences, this postponement is part of the process of our collective returning to in-person performances in responsible and safe ways,” says Rebecca Robertson, the founding president and executive producer of the Armory. She confirms that the affected performers are “feeling well”.


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