After being closed for a year and a half due to the pandemic, the Berkeley Rep was preparing to open the 2021/22 season in October, but because of the rise of the delta variant, the theater company announced Wednesday that it has pushed back its opening date until November.
The season will open with Wintertime, written by Charles L. Mee and directed by Les Water, on Nov. 12. The 2021/22 season was originally scheduled to open on Oct. 1 with the world premiere of The Ripple, the wave that carried me home, written by Christina Anderson and directed by Miranda Haymon. That will now open on Sept. 9, 2022, the final show of the season.
“We care about the safety of our audiences, our artists, and our staff,” Berkeley Rep Managing Director Susie Medak said in a press release. “At this moment in time it simply seems as though the most prudent choice is to postpone our opening for a month to allow this current wave of infection to run its course.”
The theater has been closed since March 16, 2020.
The theater company said all its staff, artists and volunteers are fully vaccinated. When the doors do open, patrons will have to show proof of vaccination by presenting their vaccination card, a photo of the card or a digital vaccine record with a matching photo ID.
Berkeley Rep will allow subscribers to view a show online if they determine they would feel more comfortable staying at home, as a form of “digital insurance.”
For more information about the season and health and safety guidelines, visit berkeleyrep.org.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Credit: Berkeley Repertory Theatre
