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39 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,F ebruary 24,2022 insidehalton.com It's Friday the 13th in March 2020. What could possibly go wrong? A pandemic had just been declared. David Mir- vish did not want to put anyone's health at risk, so he shut his theatres. All four Mirvish thea- tres were in operation with popular shows, including the long-awaited Broad- way blockbuster "Hamil- ton", which had had just begun a 14-week sold-out run. (It would only play four weeks.) Audiences were furi- ous. Some could not under- stand why the shows were shut down when the gov- ernment had not yet man- dated a lockdown. (It would do so a few days lat- er.) They felt cheated of en- tertainment. Similarly, actors, musi- cians, technicians and the- atre staff felt cheated of their passion and liveli- hoods. Nobody chooses to work in theatre because it's a paycheque. You can find jobs that pay a lot more and are a lot more reliable. We work in theatre be- cause we love it. We wouldn't be able to live without it. Having our entire sec- tor shut down was shock- ing, something nobody had even considered. When it became clear that this wasn't going to be a short pause, we had to face the ugly truth: the theatre can't exist without an audience; an audience is a collection of strangers who congregate in close proximity to watch a live performance. In other words, the ideal scenario for a virus to spread. How long will this pan- demic last? If it lasts a very long time, could audiences forget about going to the theatre altogether? Will everyone become addicted to getting their entertainment at home? Could this be the end of theatre? These existential ques- tions have haunted us for two years now. There has been some respite, like this past fall when the government sud- denly declared that it was safe enough for fully vac- cinated audiences to take in a show, as long as every- one was masked. For a few months we were able to feel like our work mattered again, that we had a purpose. Just as suddenly, it was all over when Omicron made its rude appearance. But now, the future is looking hopeful. Omicron is on a downward trajecto- ry and theatres are being allowed to reopen at 50 per cent capacity, and (hope- fully) on March 14 at 100 per cent. Most Mirvish theatres are scheduled to reopen April 5 with the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre slated to reopen on May 31 with the biggest play ever to be staged in Canada: "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". It looks like theatre will not only survive but flour- ish. John Karastamatis is director of sales and mar- keting for Mirvish Pro- ductions. THEATRES SET STAGE TO WELCOME BACK AUDIENCES AGAIN OPINION: OUR CHANGED WORLD 'THE FUTURE IS LOOKING HOPEFUL,' SAYS JOHN KARASTAMATIS JOHN KARASTAMATIS Column Your professional leadership and governance experience can make a difference in your community. Please contact Judy Mandelman at resumes@promeus.ca to confidentially explore this opportunity. Learn more about Halton Healthcare at www.haltonhealthcare.com JOINOURBOARD OFDIRECTORS We invite applications from individuals who are interested in using their expertise to complement the existing Board Directors' backgrounds. We are interested in hearing from executive- level individuals with: • Specializations in either health system transformation, healthcare technology, or financial literacy • Demonstrated not-for-profit or corporate board experience • Resides in the Region of Halton (one individual must be a resident of Halton Hills) HALTON HEALTHCARE IS A LEADING HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION, operating community hospitals in Oakville, Georgetown and Milton. It has an outstanding record of performance and fiscal accountability, coupled with a commitment to delivering exemplary patient experiences, always. Halton Healthcare's leadership team, staff, physicians and volunteers serve the healthcare needs of our diverse communities, under the stewardship of a strong Board of Directors. Halton Healthcare's Board of Directors is recruiting two new Board Members who will join the Board in June 2022. Halton Healthcare Never miss a deal with your shopping list on Save.ca. Selected items are sorted by store, making your day-to-day shopping experience a real money saver. Shopping locally is the best way to support our communities. And saving locally makes it even better! Find big deals close to home with save.ca. We made it easier than ever to find the deals you're looking for. Save.ca's bountiful search results let you comparison shop to get the best buy. A lot of little things can add up to big things. It all adds up. Start saving today at: That's the thinking behind the new save.ca.