![]() ![]() The crew had us completely set up and the band was already in, putting on their ears and packs, talking with instrument techs about what they needed. I rushed onstage with pages still freshly warm from the printer, and as I parted the chain curtain I was instantly filled with pride and hope. Jeremy Yaddaw, drum tech on American Utopia. Musical parts were quickly reassigned and we kept on moving. It was news of yet another positive case. They looked up at me and said: “Why is the COVID safety monitor calling me-does this mean I have it?” All I could reply was, “Just take a deep breath and answer. They looked at the caller ID, and I noticed the color and smile drain from their face. As we chatted, a cast member’s phone rang. Things finally felt something like…normal. Our cast members were glowing with excitement, thinking about performing certain songs they had never done with David before. The company manager and a stage manager friend of mine show up to help me put binders together. I got to the theatre two hours early to print out all the new lyric sheets and music sheets. I saw Mya again and we had our typical friendly exchange. 26 I headed back to midtown for my COVID tests. Luckily for me, I work with a wonderful group of humans who were just as excited as I was to be a part of this out-of-the-box idea that would help keep the curtain up at the St. ![]() While most people were celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas, we spent ours emailing, calling, and texting back and forth all day. Over the holidays David and some of the cast and crew had a Zoom holiday gathering to feel some sense of community. This would be a special concert created with the remaining cast members we had playing a new set list, featuring some American Utopia songs, some David Byrne classics, and some Talking Heads favorites. Not performing just wasn’t going to be an option for this band.Īfter much excited discussion, I noticed that people had begun to smile around the building again, and we went home feeling excited with ideas to create what we’re calling a brand new “unchained” show. But it was also clear that if we still couldn’t perform American Utopia the following week, we were going to have to do something else. As I walked up, I heard things like “We could do this,” “What about this,” “We could play this song,” “What would you need.” An idea was born at that moment: It was clear we could not do a show that day. I walked onstage to find David Byrne, the crew, and a few cast members gathered around the ghost light excitedly talking about something. Worst of all: I wasn’t sure when we would be able to reopen. I feel my heart rate rise, knowing I now must go tell all the cast, crew, ushers, security, doormen, stage managers, wardrobe, and house managers that we would be cancelling the show. I walked into the theatre brushing tears from my eyes. My feeling of defeat was overcome by the feeling of heartbreak. They looked visibly scared and upset as they headed back home. I quickly left the Mobile Health Center when I happened to run into the positive cast member. The crew member and the musician in line with me watched me like hawks, trying to figure out what was going on. David and I sadly decided that we would have to cancel our upcoming performances. It was my unfortunate job to call David Byrne and let him know. We stood chatting for a while when I received a text alerting me that another cast member had tested positive. When I turned the corner, I saw a crew member and one of our musicians waiting in line. Once she gave me my testing labels, I headed to the next part of the line. I asked her about her holiday plans and, of course, her answer was: mostly working. When we caught each other’s eyes, her energy shifted and she gave me a huge smile (under her mask, of course) and met my friendly energy. I said hello to Mya, an employee I see almost every day no matter what time I come. I put on a smile as I approached the amazing, hard-working staff at Mobile Health Center, who work tirelessly to keep us safe. I left home feeling optimistic and headed to midtown, where I joined the long line of theatre workers waiting for their various COVID tests. We were working on a plan to cover all the musical parts, setting up new spacing and making sure the lighting, audio, and instrument technicians were up to date with our new changes. On this particular day, our crisis was trying to do performances with multiple vaccinated cast members out with COVID-19. I woke up early that morning to make sure I was available for whatever work crisis would arise lately that seems to be every day. ![]() The day before Christmas Eve, the show I’m working on as production stage manager, David Byrne’s American Utopia, was supposed to have two performances.
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