FRC Information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) and our plans

UPDATE 2022-03-07

To all our patrons, supporters, and friends,

Like our counterparts in all aspects of theatre, COVID-19, and specifically the Omicron variant, has been debilitating to our plans to produce live theatre. We had just started rehearsals for Victor Victoria when Omicron hit, forcing us to push rehearsals online to keep our team safe. This, however, means that the show is simply not ready to be on stage in March at the standard we have all come to expect from FRC. As well, since 2 years have now passed since the original production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels started to rehearse, availability for many team members, on the production team, in the cast and in the orchestra, has shifted, meaning the production as originally cast / planned is no longer possible.

Given the above, FRC has made the difficult decision to CANCEL our production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Also, pending approval from our rightsholders, Victor Victoria will move to the June timeslot, replacing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

For now, while we are waiting for confirmation, we are asking people to please hold onto all of your tickets and DO NOT contact the box office. Once we have approval to move Victor Victoria to June from the rightsholder, we will contact all current ticketholders with next steps, and post an update here.

We appreciate your patience and continued support as we've navigated these last 2 years. We are looking forward to getting back on stage performing great shows that we are known for!

Thank you,

Jenn Lanciault, Interim President (she/her)
Front Row Centre Players Society

UPDATE 2020-11-12

To all our patrons, supporters, and friends:

Covid-19 changed our world so dramatically and these changes came into our lives faster than anything we've experienced before. Front Row Centre Players has been a staple within Calgary for live musical theatre for a long time. The recent global pandemic restrictions have prevented us from doing what we do best for our community. We are so grateful for our patrons, volunteers, and performers for all the hard work they put into the productions we create. This year has been incredibly trying on many, including Calgary's entire theatre community; we still strive to bring you theatre again in any capacity we can. Until we can return, know our thoughts are with our community in these trying times.

It's with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of our production of Cabaret. This harsh decision was not one that was made instantaneously in response to the pandemic. The production team and Front Row Centre had initially decided to postpone our production of Cabaret in the early stages of planning throughout the ever-changing repercussions of the Covid-19 Pandemic. This new decision came after many lives within the team of Cabaret shifted due to the challenges faced at the peak of self-isolation. The Production team dolefully decided to cancel the production entirety as the show's artistic choices would not allow performing the production as intended initially under Covid-19 Resitrictions.

Will Cabaret come back? The answer is yes, but as a completely different creative.
When? The answer is we do not have plans yet, But when we can produce again it is in Front Row Centre's plans to bring Cabaret to our line up in the future. Out of respect for the work done by this cast, we will be waiting some time before returning it to our line up for a season.

The show was ready for mount in March when everything was shut down and the love for a show is at its highest peak pre-opening night. The set building had begun, costumes near completions, rehearsals picking up in preparation for opening night. This cast and crew worked tirelessly to create an experience and world for our patrons to step into through fantastic set design and choreography. With live music being such an integral piece to FRC's shows we cannot continue producing live productions until further resolution of the measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

We send our love and best wishes to Cabaret's many cast, crew, and musicians and thank you profusely for your hard work and passion in creating the production.

At this time, we still plan to present Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as our next live theatre presentation.

Keep your eyes peeled for future announcements on how to get involved with Front Row Centre's next project.

Thank you,

Darren Stewart, President (he/him)
Front Row Centre Players Society

UPDATE 2020-09-07

Hello FRC supporters,

We wanted to reach out and update that as you probably assumed, we will not be presenting a show in September 2020. Our next potential opportunity for resumption of shows is January 2021. We expect to review this on an ongoing basis and evaluate when it is the right time for us to resume based on the requirements and restrictions in place by the municipality and province, as well as the safety of our volunteer participants. We still anticipate our next shows to be Cabaret and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, at this time tentatively Cabaret in January 2021, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in March 2021, however please be prepared for this to change.

UPDATE 2020-04-19

Hello FRC patrons and supporters, thank you for your patience and understanding during this trying time. We are reaching out to inform you that as you likely suspected we will not be presenting Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in June.

Because we want to do the best thing for everyone involved, we are offering again the same options as we did for Cabaret, however please read the remainder of this message as there is a difference in our request for reaching out to us.

Please be aware that it is our intention to run Cabaret and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the next available opportunity. This means that we are confident at this time that we will not be running Carrie or Annie in our 2020/21 season.

As such, you do not need to respond to this message unless you wish us to take the value of your current Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tickets as a donation or to receive a refund. Any remaining tickets on May 1^st will be automatically converted into a gift certificate that you can use for any show in the future, including as part of your Save My Seat Pass. A certificate for redemption online or by phone will be sent via email or mailed to anyone that we do not have an email address for.

Also, with our current plan to run Cabaret at the earliest opportunity we did want to give those who donated their Cabaret tickets the opportunity to change that back into a gift certificate if they prefer. We will not be able to do this after June 30.

Once again please do not call the box office, there is no staff answering the phones, this activity is being managed by our volunteers in their available time.

Please only send us an email at president@frontrowcentre.ca if you would

like a refund for your Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tickets
like to donate the value of your Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tickets, or
if you would like to convert your prior donation for Cabaret tickets to a gift pass.

Our 2020-2021 season is going to be one of recovery where we cannot say what shows we will be presenting at this time. Experts and government agencies in Canada and abroad have suggested that restrictions on gatherings like theatre may extend into 2021 and we are preparing for many different options. Once we have confirmed a show will be opening we will be informing all patrons and re-opening ticket sales.

As a charitable organization, donations are always appreciated and a highly valued part of our revenue stream but we want to assure you that FRC is under no financial duress; we are equipped to weather a long shutdown if necessary, and so long as there are people who want to be a part of and watch amazing musical theatre, then we will be here on the other side of this pandemic.

Until we can meet again,

Darren Stewart, President (he/him)
Front Row Centre Players Society

UPDATE 2020-03-14

Due to the further restrictions on public gatherings we have made the very difficult to decision to cancel all public performances of Cabaret.

If you have tickets please do not call the box office. Please email president@frontrowcentre.ca and let us know which of these options you would prefer:

Please consider donating your tickets. You will receive a charitable tax receipt for the purchase price of your tickets (in January 2021).
Please consider if you can accept a gift certificate for a future show once performances resume.
If neither of these is acceptable, please let us know that you would like a refund.

For more information on the coronavirus and steps that you can take to help prevent the spread of the disease and what to do if you experience symptoms, please visit the AHS website https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Rehearsals have been moved to an online/virtual format for the foreseeable future; this will be revisited in 2 weeks.

FRC is monitoring the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation very closely and acting upon the recommendations of health services. Please see below for detailed information.

UPDATE 2020-03-12 8:48PM MDT

With respect to the updated AHS recommendations today restricting public gatherings over 250 people please note that our theatre capacity is 180 people and we do not expect to even have that many in the current environment. As such our plans to continue with Cabaret have not yet changed. We continue to offer to move or cancel tickets to anyone who is sick or in a high risk category. If this applies to you, we ask that you please consider kindly accepting this as a credit for a future show whenever possible.

Information for Audiences
Information for Participants (Cast, Crew, Orchestra, Front of House, etc.) in Cabaret
Information for Participants (Cast, Crew, Orchestra, etc) in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Information for Audiences

We are monitoring the Coronavirus situation very closely and while the risk of exposure in Alberta remains low, we are taking our cue from Alberta Health Services and other authorities and implementing some changed and new policies to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

During the run of our production of Cabaret (and moving forward while concerns continue), we will be increasing the cleaning and disinfecting of public and backstage areas beyond our standard efforts. Our theatre facility has added alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers for public use in the lobby and other public areas, and additional paper towel and garbage facilities are being added to the public washrooms of the facility as well in addition to the existing air-drying solutions.

Due to restrictions on food service and to reduce any potential exposure time, we will not be holding an Opening Night Gala for Cabaret.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as a cough or fever or are not feeling well, please do not come to the show. Please email us at tickets@frontrowcentre.ca so that we can make accommodations with regards to moving or cancelling your tickets. As always due to the volunteer nature of our organization, email communication is preferred but if you need to speak to someone you may also call us at 403-246-8505 (please be sure to leave a message).

We are prepared to make new decisions as recommendations change so please stay tuned on our social media website or here at https://frontrowcentre.ca/covid19.

Information for Participants in Cabaret

We can appreciate that the recent WHO classification of COVID-19 as a pandemic has elevated some concern as you are about to load in the show. Your safety and well-being, as well as that of our patrons and other volunteers, is a priority for FRC and we are therefore implementing some precautionary measures to protect all of us as COVID-19 continues to be top of mind.

First and foremost, at this time, the risk continues to be low in Calgary and we are not currently at a point where we need to either cancel or reschedule the show. We will operate business as usual until we are told by health authorities to do otherwise. We do, however, acknowledge that this is highly subject to change. We know that this may cause you some worry and anxiety and potential upset. We are doing our best to stay on top of current guidance from the local health authorities and in close communication with the staff of Beddington Theatre Arts Centre, and you will be the first to know if anything changes.

Unfortunately, due to concerns for the safety of our cast, orchestra, crew and patrons, we have made the decision to cancel our opening night gala. We know this is probably the most disappointing part of this message. We promise that we will find another opportunity to celebrate you and the show once the pandemic has passed. Please know that this was not a decision that was taken lightly.

Also, given the recommendations against sharing food, we will unfortunately also be unable to provide meals for load-in. We will do our best to provide you with single-serve snacks for tech week, but please be prepared to feed yourself your main meals on Sunday. Again, this was not a decision we took lightly, and since it’s one of the things we usually do to acknowledge you, we are looking at other ways to say thank you. We will revisit the plan for strike as we get closer to that date and let you know.

In addition to the above, here’s what else we are doing to minimize the risk to you and our patrons. You will see that this is an increase in cleaning activities, and we ask all of you, regardless of your role, to please assist with whatever you are asked to do to support these efforts.

In general, the rules are wash your hands (a lot!) and don’t touch things that aren’t yours.

SHOW TEAMS

Everyone working with Front Row Centre in any capacity must thoroughly wash their hands as often as is required (touching food, drink, other actors, surfaces, etc.). Please wash for a minimum of 20 second with soap and water. There are lots of great musical theatre numbers you can use to assist you with counting to 20 seconds should you need!
Please limit the touching of your own face, and only touch other people in any capacity as agreed and required to fulfill your role (and again, make sure you’ve washed your hands before and after).
All surfaces with frequent hand traffic must be wiped at the start and end of every show by the team assigned clean up duties. Please use disinfectant spray. This includes the green room, dressing rooms, kitchen and wings. We have always had a backstage cleaning schedule, but it will be more essential than ever that everyone pitch in and take their turn cleaning.
While there are hand sanitizer stations installed throughout the building, the nation's supplies are depleted, and refills are out of stock with no known production date. Therefore, please use soap and water when you can to support the concern for replacing the hand sanitizer. BTAC will be temporarily installing waste baskets and paper towels in the main washrooms until the end of the pandemic.
We are asking all operators to wipe down their workstations, work surfaces and areas before and after their shows using disinfectants spray on a clean towel. This includes keyboards, lighting board, soundboard, spotlights, batteries, etc.
All microphones will be sanitized before and after use. Please do not touch anyone else’s microphone to minimize risk.
All operators will wash their hands before working with tools of their trade. This includes laundry and props maintenance.
Disinfectant wipe down any props that are used prior to preset.
Please limit your interaction with the audience post show. We know that this may be disappointing as it’s an exciting part of the show to mingle with the audience afterwards. It is, however, best to limit exposure to large groups of people as much as possible. Please let your family and friends know you will be happy to hear all about how much they loved the show by phone or social media instead.
There is no need to wear gloves or masks at this time as we have heard from various sources that this isn’t preventative. We will revisit this in the case that guidance changes.

FRONT OF HOUSE VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers will be instructed to wash their hands once they have put on a vest.
Volunteers WILL NOT touch tickets when scanning they will simply ask the patron to show them the barcode.
Volunteers WILL NOT hand out programs they will offer the basket for patrons to take a program.
Vests will be washed immediately post volunteer shift.
Volunteers handling cash must wash their hands or sanitize throughout their time. There is a sink in concession with soap and multiple hand sanitizers in the lobby for others.
Volunteers will wipe down all handrails, armrests and the backs of seats with sanitizer and a rag after every show.

Information for Participants in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

We can appreciate that the recent WHO classification of COVID-19 as a pandemic has elevated some concern as you are rehearsing the show. Your safety and well-being, as well as that of our patrons and other volunteers, is a priority for FRC and we are therefore implementing some precautionary measures to protect all of us as COVID-19 continues to be top of mind.

First and foremost, at this time, the risk continues to be low in Calgary and we are not currently at a point where we need to either cancel or reschedule rehearsals or shows (i.e. Cabaret is still planned to go ahead as scheduled). We will operate business as usual until we are told by health authorities to do otherwise. We do, however, acknowledge that this is highly subject to change. We know that this may cause you some worry and anxiety. We are doing our best to stay on top of current guidance from the local health authorities and in close communication with the staff of Beddington Theatre Arts Centre, and you will be the first to know if anything changes.

Below is what else we are doing to minimize the risk to you and our other volunteers. You will see that this is an increase in cleaning activities, and we ask all of you, regardless of your role, to please assist with whatever you are asked to do to support these efforts.

In general, the rules are wash your hands (a lot!), stay home (and let us know) if you are sick or exposed to Coronavirus, and don’t touch things that aren’t yours. We are attempting to get some disposable disinfectant wipes for the rehearsal halls; however, as I’m sure you know from your own personal shopping, these aren’t exactly easy to come by. In the meantime, there is disinfectant spray and rags in the janitor’s closet for this purpose.

REHEARSALS

Everyone working with Front Row Centre in any capacity must thoroughly wash their hands as often as in required (touching food, drink, other actors, surfaces, etc.). Please wash for a minimum of 20 second with soap and water. There are lots of great musical theatre numbers you can use to assist you with counting to 20 seconds should you need!
Please limit the touching of your own face, and only touch other people in any capacity as agreed and required to fulfill your role (and again, make sure you’ve washed your hands before and after). Unless required as part of rehearsal, it is recommended that you keep physical distance between you and others.
All surfaces with frequent hand traffic must be wiped at the start and end of every rehearsal. Please use disinfectant spray. This includes tables, chairs and music stands used for rehearsals, as well as door handles and any other surfaces.
While there are hand sanitizer stations installed throughout the building, the nation's supplies are depleted, and refills are out of stock with no known production date. Therefore, please use soap and water when you can to support the concern for replacing the hand sanitizer. BTAC will be temporarily installing waste baskets and paper towels in the main washrooms until the end of the pandemic.
Disinfectant wipe down any props that are used during rehearsal before and after use EVERY REHEARSAL.
Please limit your interactions in the building outside of rehearsals. We know that this may be disappointing as it’s an exciting part of the show to mingle with each other. We promise to have a fun social event once things calm down.
Please don’t share food or beverages. As much as we love to bring treats and share them, please refrain from doing so until further notice.
There is no need to wear gloves or masks at this time as we have heard from various sources that this isn’t preventative. We will revisit this in the case that guidance changes.
Production meetings will be postponed for the time being and communications will instead happen by email.
There is no change in the current rehearsal schedule. Alyssa and/or Nick will communicate should that change.

Again, if you are feeling unwell or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please be in communication with Stage Management and STAY HOME.

Finally, we thank you for your patience and understanding in this challenging time. We acknowledge there is concern about the rehearsal process and the show itself, and we provide that we will update you as soon as we can should anything change.