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Update from Shakespeare & Company

Letter from Allyn Burrows

By: - Apr 03, 2020

As we settle further into what feels like a long stretch of isolation already, we remain concerned for the health and safety of people here in the Berkshires and around the world. Covid-19 continues to exact its devastating toll on innocent people whose lives have been hammered by this unforgiving virus. So many have been stricken, those we love, those we admire, and those we can only hope the best for. In the face of the uncertainty to come, it can seem foolhardy to plan for the near future when the Coronavirus is the only entity truly in control of the world’s schedule.  

Making plans is what we cherish, because it gives us something to look forward to, like a trip, a wedding, or a play. The only immediate plan we can make to is to put plans on hold, and that strategy exacerbates the frustration we already feel being separated from our family, our friends, and our co-workers. We long for hugs, handshakes, and high fives. When we say at Shakespeare & Company that we use language and connection to discover the secrets of what it means to be human, we’re really just saying that we love to get together, to gather, and to celebrate our existence through communication. Zoom just doesn’t suffice for us to feel energized by each other’s company.

Shakespeare saw the theatres closed two times in as many years due to the plague, and he subsequently must have viewed the world through the lens of what the epidemic wrought. Ultimately the theatres re-opened and history became the beneficiary of the brilliance that he brought to the stage for many years afterward. Think of how joyous it must have been to gather to enjoy his words brought to life.

For now getting together will have to wait. There is serious business at hand to eradicate this scourge and we must all do our part by staying away from each other. What we can do is support each other from afar.  We will have information on our upcoming plans for this season for you very soon, and so for now, take care of yourselves. We’re thinking of you.

Allyn
Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director