Duke Performances is canceling all performances between now and Friday, April 20, due to health concerns amid the coronavirus.
“We wish these changes weren’t necessary, but under the circumstances an aggressive course of action is justified to protect public and community health,” Scott Lindroth and Eric Oberstein stated in a press release that circulated late Wednesday afternoon.
These cancellations include the American Ballet Theatre’s five-day run of Giselle and the Black Atlantic Festival, alongside numerous other events. Duke Performances stated in the press release that it would do its best, in the future, to bring back the artists impacted by the cancellations.
The box office is also issuing refunds to patrons holding tickets to performances through April 20. Further instructions about refunds can be found here.
On Tuesday evening, Duke announced that spring break would be extended a week and that the rest of the classes would be run via “long-distance” practices. This unprecedented announcement was followed on Wednesday by the news that Full Frame Documentary Festival—a program of the Center for Documentary Studies scheduled to take place in downtown Durham April 2-5—was also canceled.
UNC-Chapel Hill followed suit with cautionary measures, shortly thereafter.
A statement from UNC’s University Communications office on Wednesday afternoon detailed plans for an extended spring break and a pivot to “remote instruction” for the remainder of the semester. It also stated that “campus events for more than 50 attendees are canceled effective immediately.”
Carolina Performing Arts has not yet issued a statement about the status of its spring performances, but this mandate would seem to include all CPA events.
This is a developing story.
Contact deputy arts and culture editor Sarah Edwards at [email protected].
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