Actors' Equity Has Approved Shows for Two Theaters in the Berkshires

Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing actors and stage managers in live theater, has announced that it has approved two Massachusetts theaters to resume performances in the coming months.

In collaboration with Equity, Barrington Stage Company and Berkshire Theatre Group have finalized a path forward. Barrington Stage Company is producing Harry Clarke, a one-man show that will employ two Equity members, a performer and a stage manager. It begins performances in August. Berkshire Theatre Group is mounting the musical Godspell, an outdoor production with a cast of about 10 and two stage managers.

Both theaters have agreed to safety features that include testing for Equity members and those who come in contact with them. Other new measures to ensure the safety of workers and audiences: Berkshire Theatre Group, for example, will stage Godspell outdoors for 96 audience members. Barrington Stage Company is using its indoor facilities, but has removed seating, reducing its house capacity to 163 down from over 500. It also has committed to an isolated backstage area and regular electrostatic spraying to clean the facilities.