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UPDATE: This story was updated at 3:50 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.

In the fall of 2020, 22 first-year theater students stood in the wide, mirror-walled dance studio housed in Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex.

The class of 44 was sliced in half, said Christine Albright-Tufts, a Syracuse University assistant professor of acting. Some students wearing masks stood stiffly in the studio, looking nervously at their peers as they stood six feet apart from one another, while the other half of the class watched the instruction from their doom rooms on a Zoom call, Albright-Tufts said.

“That was a time where we were all afraid to be together,” Albright-Tufts said. “And here I am teaching the art of being together, of playing together, of being in one another’s space, of trusting your partner enough to be vulnerable.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 1.4 million people across the world were left without jobs in the performing arts industry. Many theater workers in Syracuse pivoted to use their talents elsewhere, such as crafting personal protective equipment for hospital workers, said Joann Yarrow, director of community engagement at Syracuse Stage.

When safety restrictions were lifted, many were elated, but uncertainty still lingered and the question of “What comes next?” was on many people’s minds, Albright-Tufts said. Five years later, local theaters are open to the public with a bigger focus on diverse storytelling, but are still struggling to achieve pre-pandemic audience numbers, she said.

While there were practical changes to theater during the pandemic, such as social distancing, there were also updates to the curriculum that remained long term, Albright-Tufts said. These changes included regularly checking in with SU students throughout class sessions to ensure everyone feels comfortable with the exercises and encouraging students to say no to things they feel uncomfortable with.

“I think we’ve found ways to start to build trust, remind students of their agency and their ability to say no to anything and say yes to what they want to try,” Albright-Tufts said.

These open talks of boundaries and consent in the theater industry were not discussed as much prior to the pandemic, said Marguerite Mitchell, director of education at the Redhouse Arts Center.

“The people who know that the arts are really important have stayed consistent with that and been very outwardly spoken about ‘This is something that is essential to our culture and well-being’ and I think more people are definitely seeing that,” said Nirai Kabilan, an SU senior and one of the co-producers of First Year Players.

Kabilan said she believes that, especially within the younger generation, there has been more of a focus on prioritizing the arts in their lives and achieving a school-life balance. More discussion has been taking place surrounding performers taking care of themselves physically and emotionally, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the pandemic opened the door for people of different backgrounds to help discuss and create new stories, such as Tony-nominated Broadway productions like “A Strange Loop,” “Suffs” and “Oh, Mary!” that were created and produced by Black people, women and LGBTQ+ members of the theater community.

“The industry is moving in a way, shifting in a way where we’re bringing more people and perspectives through, because the story is ultimately better for everyone when you’ve had multiple perspectives and cultures around that table telling it,” Mitchell said.

To better promote accessibility in theater, Syracuse Stage is offering Sensory Friendly performances for two shows this season. They’ve also been catering more to marginalized communities, like by hosting an event to foster military dogs while promoting the musical “Hello Girls.” Christian Calabrese | Asst. Photo Editor

Local Syracuse theaters also feature diverse storytelling. SU Department of Drama’s current season features a mix of classic shows, such as William Inge’s 1953 “Picnic” and contemporary hits like Disney’s “Frozen The Broadway Musical.” The season also features the academic world premiere of “A Rebel Prayer,” a political musical that follows a teenage girl living in Russia as she begins to question what she’s prepared to lose in the fight for freedom.

After the pandemic, members of the theater community, including performers and production crews, began focusing more on why they present shows and who they’re for, Albright-Tufts said.

“I think as an industry (we’re) more intentional about the material we’re putting in front of an audience and we are understanding why we want to do it and what is its value,” Albright-Tufts said.

To better promote accessibility in theater, Syracuse Stage announced they would be offering Sensory Friendly performances for “A Christmas Story” and Disney’s “Frozen The Broadway Musical” this season. These performances will omit elements such as loud noises and harsh stage lights, making them more enjoyable for audience members with sensitivities. The inclusion of these relaxed performances showcases the work local theaters have been doing post-COVID-19 in an attempt to better support diverse audiences.

Yarrow said getting audiences back into theaters requires bringing shows and events to marginalized communities. Syracuse Stage invited local immigrant families to “Somewhere Over the Border” — a retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” — in their 2021/2022 season, which focuses on a tale of immigration. They also hosted an event to foster military dogs while promoting the musical “Hello Girls.”

“Theater should not be exclusionary, it should be inclusionary,” Yarrow said. “All of our shows, all of our previews are pay-what-you-will. You can see a show for five bucks if you want to at Syracuse Stage.”

Even with theaters currently being fully open to the public and ready to tell new stories, there has still been a struggle to get audience members to return, said Albright-Tufts. She said she’s sad that many audiences are more content with watching Netflix at home rather than going to the theater.

Aliana Aspesi, a sophomore theater student and Syracuse Stage box office associate, is concerned about the lack of younger people who have returned to watching live theater. When working at the box office, she’s noticed that the majority of people attending shows are over the age of 60, something that concerns her.

“What happens when these people in 20 years pass away because of old age?” Aspesi said. “I just question whether or not theater is going to stay in these smaller towns and cities and central areas that aren’t Broadway.”

While the future of live theater and how it looks long term after the pandemic is still unknown, many Syracuse students are fighting for people to remember the importance of the arts and their benefit to one’s well-being, including Kabilan and the First Year Players, Kabilan said.

“In our current climate, I think it’s more important than ever to uplift performing arts and just arts in general and these shows that do talk about really relevant things in our current administration,” said Kabilan. “There’s a lot of negative and terrible things that are happening in the world and it’s nice to have something where it feels like you’re putting out something good.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Syracuse Stage would host Sensory Friendly performances this season for each of their subscription shows. Syracuse Stage will offer Sensory Friendly performances for “A Christmas Story” and Disney’s “Frozen The Broadway Musical.” The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on December 2, 2025 at 8:56 pm