THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

While PCC is closed due to Covid-19 precautions, we have missed the opportunity to watch and perform in the shows. The lagoon is drained, the stages are empty, the line-up area is quiet and lonely most of the time except for the casual employee on break looking for a place to relax. But we still need to keep dance routines sharp and performers ready for when HA, HUKI and ONIPA’A comes to life again.

So how do we accomplish that when many performers have been furloughed and those remaining are performing essential duties such as security, groundskeeping, and general maintenance?

In accordance with the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Order 2020-02 ‘STAY AT HOME/WORK FROM HOME’, some of the definitions for essential work at the Center is described as “The minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business’s inventory… and to prepare for the re-opening of Designated Businesses and Operations.” Our shows are one of our main products and it’s critical we maintain them as part of our business inventory, especially with the emergency order recently being extended to the end of June.

Effective last week, Theater has now recalled all the performers who have been temporarily assigned to other duties to review and rehearse the various shows for a few hours every Wednesday to prepare for when we are allowed to re-open. Rehearsals are scheduled in phases and in various parts of the Theater to keep clusters within 10 and to allow dancers to maintain adequate physical distancing between each other.

Even through their masks, you can see and feel the excitement of the performers to be dancing again and refining their motions and routines after a two-month break from the shows. The rehearsals will also keep them in shape so they can fit their same costumes – we hope 😊. Until that happens, the show will go on — in weekly rehearsals only.

Click here to showcase ingenuity and safety in action