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Gettysburg Community Theater closed through October, trying to stay active virtually and limit damage by COVID-19

The theater will remain closed while trying to perform via Zoom, with reduced staff and reality closure could push into 2021.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit the theater world hard, this time in Gettsyburg.

The Gettysburg Community Theater announced they will remain closed until November 2020. At that time, they will analyze this situation on a month-by-month basis.

"To go from  an 80-seat intimate theater to, safely, it would be 15 seats for a performance," Executive Director Chad-Alan Carr said. "It just doesn't cover the expense and isn't worth the risk."

Staff members, including Chad-Alan himself, have technically been laid off other than the eight-week duration in which they received a small business loan from the Payment Protection Program. 

"It just doesn't make sense to be working full-time, using the bank account when we're not open to the public," Carr said.

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GCT was able to get some royalties back from shows it could not perform this year to limit cost. Those shows will be pushed back to the 2021 season.

However, GCT is still doing what it can to create for the community. For certain 2020 shows, amongst others, they were able to secure virtual rights. The shows are hosted via Zoom as a way to remain in touch with the audience.

"We've been doing two rehearsals and one online performance," Carr said. "It's a reading, but you wouldn't know it's a reading."

They're preparing in this way for future shows virtually, and perhaps even in-person down the line. Artists all over the country are creating with a pandemic-themed story line to preserve this period in the theater world.

"One of the shows we're working onright now is 'Ten Ways to Survive a Quarantine,'" Carr said.

Donations largely help create this content and also help operating costs lost to the pandemic. You can find more information on GCT's website.

In the meantime, the theater company remains hopeful for the future, no matter how long they're forced to keep the curtain down.

"When the time comes, we will be here," Carr said. "We will return. We hope you will as well."

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