The COVID-19 Delta variant is currently surging in our community and projections from national, state, and local epidemiologists including Dr. Dyer at the Benton County Health Department predict a sustained presence throughout Fall 2021 and Winter 2022. The Whiteside Theatre has planned in-person performances throughout this period to serve the community's needs, but both patrons and performers are deeply concerned about the safety of putting large groups of people in our auditorium and lobby. While current OHA guidelines only call for masking indoors, theaters across the world have been making vaccine verification and masking for patrons part of their mitigation plans. The theaters on Broadway, London, and more will be requiring vaccine verification. Many large municipalities such as New York and Los Angeles have moved to require this for all indoor activities. More locally, the Portland5, Revolution Hall, and Hult are having patrons mask up and have vaccine requirements in place for some performances.
The Whiteside's version of vaccine verification will require additional staffing or volunteers at all live events. Combined with masking, I believe this would minimize the chances of one of our performances becoming an outbreak / super spreader event. These procedures would be in place until Benton and Linn counties return to Low on the OHA’s Community Transmission Rate dashboard.
The Whiteside's version of vaccine verification will require additional staffing or volunteers at all live events. Combined with masking, I believe this would minimize the chances of one of our performances becoming an outbreak / super spreader event. These procedures would be in place until Benton and Linn counties return to Low on the OHA’s Community Transmission Rate dashboard.
- Masks would be required for all patrons, volunteers, performance contractors, and staff
- Performers would be exempted from masking while performing on stage
- Vaccine verification would be required for all patrons, volunteers, performance contractors, and staff
- For staff this has already been accomplished earlier in the pandemic. The
- Whiteside staff is 100% vaccinated currently. Additional staff hired would have to
- provide proof of vaccination in order to be eligible to work performances
- For volunteers, proof of vaccination would be provided prior to volunteering
- For contractors, proof of vaccination for all performers and crew would be required prior to contract execution. This would be re-confirmed at load in for all members of the performance
- For patrons, they would simply show their vaccine card or (negative COVID test)result when they enter the facility for everyone over the age of 18 in their party much as everyone did back in June if they wanted to not mask up at a restaurant. Except they would still mask up. Minors would not be asked to provide vaccine verification, but still required to mask.
Events rescheduling due to COVID-19
Due to the event ban put in place by the governor of Oregon and in order to protect our patrons, the following events have been cancelled/rescheduled. We plan to reschedule most of these events. If you hold reserved seats, your original seats will be valid for the rescheduled event. If you have questions, please email [email protected].
List of Events
FILMS
The Boondock Saints - March 18
The Dark Crystal - March 25
The Princess Bride - March 28
Wag the Dog - April 1
Watchmen - April 8
Muppet Treasure Island - April 11
Monty Python's Meaning of Life - April 15
Samurai in the Oregon Sky - April 22
Do the Right Thing - April 29
LIVE EVENTS
Teada - March 17
Sugar Hill Gang and the Furious Five - March 19
Golden Bough - April 5
Stephen Dorff - April 19
Girl's Night Out - May 2
Wailin' Jennys - Rescheduled to March 9, 2021
No other events have been cancelled at this time.
The Whiteside Theatre staff thanks you for your support and patronage
