Due to rising concerns over the spread of COVID-19, Court Theatre has announced the cancelation of its upcoming production “The Lady from the Sea” and all remaining performances of the “Iliad” have been postponed.

Charles Newell, Court Theatre’s Artistic Director, and Angel Ysaguirre, Court’s Executive Director released the following statement:

“As leadership at the University of Chicago continues to monitor the evolving status of COVID-19 in Chicagoland and across the globe, we at Court Theatre are at a critical moment in our six-decade history.

Theatre can’t just be seen; it must be felt. It can’t just be watched; it must be experienced. At a time of division, bifurcated attention, and growing anxiety, theatre’s power to create community out of both artists and strangers has a powerful role to play. And yet, that same communal power represents a double-edged sword for any organization striving to prioritize the health, security, and safety of all those who touch its work.

According to the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, many of our patrons and long-term supporters are most at risk of developing serious complications from contracting this virus, a fact we take quite seriously.

As artistic leaders, these are the issues we grapple with this week in the face of extraordinary circumstances. And extraordinary circumstances sometimes call for extraordinary measures. This is why we have made the difficult decision to cancel the runs of The Lady from the Sea at Court Theatre and An Iliad at the Oriental Institute. We will reschedule performances of An Iliad to a later time during the summer. We are exploring all possibilities to digitally document and share The Lady from the Sea with audiences in order to honor the passion of the talented artists who have worked tirelessly to bring such a striking and beautiful production to our stage. At this time, we believe it’s prudent to postpone making a decision about our upcoming production of The Gospel at Colonus, slated to begin previews in May. We will continue to monitor how things develop and make a further announcement later, should it be necessary.

At a time when so many people around the world are focused on the day-to-day updates of friends, family, and the news, we, as an organization, must think farther ahead. This is why we are asking audience members and subscribers with tickets to our current productions to consider converting their purchase to a donation or crediting the value of their tickets towards a subscription to our 2020/21 Season. With so many unknowns about the lasting effects of this pandemic, these sorts of efforts will bolster Court Theatre and our potential to continue sharing classic stories with you in the future.

Theatre is nothing without its artists and audience. We are nothing without our artists and you.”