Playbill: How top university theatre programs are handling the current health crisis

Playbill asked some of the leading college theatre programs around the country what life will look like for their students this semester, whether they will be learning remotely or in person, and what performance opportunities will look like in a landscape where live performances are still banned for much of the country.

The story features the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music as one of the top programs in the nation.

UC’s fall semester includes a combination of online, hybrid, HyFlex, and face-to-face course offerings, along with an adjusted academic calendar. All face-to-face activities are optional, with virtual equivalents provided to students who request accommodations. Enhanced health and safety measures will be implemented for all in-person activities, including facial coverings, social distancing requirements, frequent deep cleaning of spaces and more.

All of CCM’s Theatre Arts productions will be performed without live audiences, with the exception of a series of socially-distanced outdoor Acting performances that will not exceed 20-minutes in length. Indoor productions will not exceed 90 minutes, and will mostly be presented with actors/singers directly facing the imaginary audience and not each other. Performers may unmask, but only with extreme social distancing. All other production personnel will keep masks on. Most productions are not licensed works, but are instead original pieces devised by the students — including culturally relevant and timely material designed to champion diverse talents, voices and perspectives. Productions will be video recorded for potential broadcast at a later date. CCM’s Acting program is also developing a variety of different film and radio play projects, which will follow SAG/AFTRA rules when relevant, in addition to the productions previously mentioned.

Additional information, including testing, tracing, and case management plans, can be found in UC’s Return to Campus plan, with CCM-specific updates online.

Read more in Playbill.

Featured image at top: Andrew Higley/UC Creative + Brand