Opinion: How does apartheid apply to mask requirements in Sarasota arts venues?

Audience members wearing face masks during an October performance of “Thoughts of a Colored Man” on Broadway. Requirements for mask-wearing, along with COVID testing or vaccination proof at area theaters have prompted some complaints in Sarasota.
Audience members wearing face masks during an October performance of “Thoughts of a Colored Man” on Broadway. Requirements for mask-wearing, along with COVID testing or vaccination proof at area theaters have prompted some complaints in Sarasota.
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Until recently, I hadn’t realized that a requirement by Sarasota area theaters for patrons to wear face masks and show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test results was a form of apartheid. That’s not what I recall learning about the now-abandoned South African policy of segregation based on race.

The comparison was mentioned in a couple of recent letters to the Herald-Tribune, both published within days of the death of F.W. DeKlerk, the South African president who once supported apartheid before abolishing the policy. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela.

Does that mean every other rule or law that requires us to do certain things (or not), like wearing seat belts or not drinking and driving falls into the same category?

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Theatrical safety measures: Sarasota arts venues juggle safety protocols and mask concerns

Our nation is divided on just about everything these days, and I am distressed that trying to protect ourselves and one another in a seemingly sensible and humane way from a deadly pandemic has become one of those issues. It has been true since COVID first showed up in the U.S. nearly two years ago. It was quickly politicized, which made it difficult for authorities to treat it like other health crises.

Because of the divide, we have now suffered the loss of more than 750,000 people in the U.S., with the numbers growing every day because we can’t all agree on measures to fight the disease.

Concerns about safety and well-being put thousands of artists out of work for months around the world, and deprived audiences of the pleasure and comfort their talents can provide. Just when we needed the performing arts most, it was unavailable to us in the ways we know best.

Audiences wearing face masks are among the safety protocols being followed by a group of local arts organizations as they return to and expand live, in-person performances indoors and outside.
Audiences wearing face masks are among the safety protocols being followed by a group of local arts organizations as they return to and expand live, in-person performances indoors and outside.

The #SafeArtsSarasota protocols adopted this fall by more than 30 local organizations are not meant to divide. They made it possible to bring people together, which was never the intention of apartheid.

In adopting the protocols, arts leaders were balancing a variety of issues, including meeting union requirements that artists, staff members and backstage personnel be vaccinated. Arts groups that hire union members must abide by those rules, which require regular testing and masks during rehearsals. They also require audience members to be masked because it doesn’t do any good to only protect those on stage.

The recent positive breakthrough cases involving members of the “Hair” company at Asolo Repertory Theatre are a reminder why vigilance is important and how much a problem COVID still is. Because of the policies and agreements, the theater knew exactly what steps it had to take, including retesting everyone involved, to make sure there were no more cases.

Thankfully, no one got terribly ill, and the show was able to begin performances on Nov. 30. No other venues in the Sarasota area have faced similar issues at this point, but across Broadway and in theaters around the country, performances have been shut down because of breakthrough cases.

This coronavirus is an invisible threat, which is why many arts lovers have decided to wait a while before returning to see theater, concerts, dance and opera. So far this season, venues have welcomed smaller-than-usual houses.

That is financially concerning after all the months of shutdown and limited outdoor performances. Our arts organizations have survived, but how long can they continue to do so without a return to more normal attendance? I understand the hesitancy. I have thought twice before attending some performances, even though I have received my booster shot.

Some don’t want to be in crowds, and others object to wearing a mask to watch a performance. I realize they can be uncomfortable and can make your glasses fog up. But if the alternative is not having those performances available, I’ll happily wear the mask.

I welcome a debate about masking and testing protocols, but we shouldn’t try to elevate the conversation with comparisons to things like apartheid and the Holocaust. One has nothing to do with the other. It is actually an offensive comparison for those who suffered so terribly.

Arts leaders surely want to drop the mask requirements as soon as it is considered safe and the number of cases declines to a certain level. But I will keep wearing my mask to protect myself, and potentially others, just as I do anytime I step in a grocery store.

Wearing a mask means I can be uplifted and transformed by the performances I attend. Where is the discrimination in this case? You have a choice. Arts leaders are trying to make it possible for the largest number of people to be together. Masks may be a problem for those with breathing issues – and I am sorry for their conditions – but maybe the right choice is for them to stay home for the time being.

We all have to make choices about how we live our lives. You may choose to bypass performances until those requirements are dropped, but don’t make it impossible for the rest of us or create specious arguments to change the policies.

Follow Jay Handelman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact him at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Opinion: Combating arguments against arts safety protocols in Sarasota