On April 2, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) announced a new swath of event cancellations in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. This brings the nonprofit’s total tally of canceled events to well over five hundred. Five theatre shows (including irresistible heavy hitters like Mean Girls and The SpongeBob Musical), 19 rental events, two fundraisers and a whopping 523 educational classes and school programs have been called off. In the face of a global pandemic, it looks like the show simply must not go on.
Equally gutting is the impact this has on the local theatre community, including DCPA employees.
“To help offset millions of dollars in deficit caused by these cancellations, we also have made the painful decision to reduce our staffing costs by more than 50% through layoffs, unpaid leave, reduced hours and salary cuts,” stated the organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Janice Sinden, in a press release.
Patrons of the performing arts are encouraged to contribute a one-time donation to the DCPA to lessen its financial toll. It also introduced the option for people to give all or part of their state income tax refund directly to the DCPA through a program called reFUND Colorado.
Denver actors directly impacted by coronavirus-related shutdowns can check out the Denver Actors Fund‘s emergency relief effort, which is giving out $250 stipends to qualifying theatre professionals.