COVID-19 Closures: Melissa Buriak ("Guys and Dolls" at Fireside Theatre)

The COVID-19 crisis has caused a devastating massive wave of performance cancellations across the country, leaving all actors out of work. Broadway, regional theatre, national tours, and more were forced to close much earlier than expected. I’ve been reaching out to the artists affected. Here are their stories.

By Melissa Buriak

I was working at the Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin when the CoVid-19 pandemic spread throughout the US. It was a completely surreal experience for everyone but I feel it is an especially overwhelming time for theatres and theatre artists.

We were about halfway through our run of Guys and Dolls when we started seeing news of other theatres being shut down and large group gatherings being prohibited in bigger cities. Obviously that was scary to hear as the large majority of our cast was from New York or Chicago but it was also a bit comforting because we felt safer in a small town than we would be in the cities we call home. Fort Atkinson is a small community and based on what we were hearing it felt like we were in a pretty good place to ride out the outbreak.

Broadway announced they were closing on March 12th and that’s when we started realizing that this was more serious than we may have anticipated. The producer / director called a meeting between our two shows on Thursday, March 12th to inform the company that the owners of the theatre were in deliberations and would let us know as soon as possible if we were going to stay open. He advised us to think about where we would like to go if the production were to close as they would buy us tickets to the destination of our choosing. He also informed us that we would be limiting audience size to 250 or less for the remainder of the run, that the crew was diligently disinfecting all props, microphones, and backstage areas, and that the Fireside cleaning staff had ramped up their cleaning efforts within the theatre between shows. The cleaning staff would come through and thoroughly disinfect all seats, armrests, railings, and surfaces throughout the theatre. After that Stage Management and the run crew would do a second pass with disinfectant and wipes to ensure nothing was missed.

The Fireside holds just over 650 audience members so the cast was grateful everyone was working so hard to make us and the audience feel safe. We were also very fortunate to be doing a show set in the 50’s. Many of our costumes featured gloves for the ladies which made us feel extra safe. The only change we made to the show itself was to take the kisses out, those involved stayed after the meeting to discuss what they could do instead.

The mood within the cast was somber but also cautiously optimistic. Being in Wisconsin where very few cases had been reported there was still hope we could make these changes and keep our jobs through our intended show closing on April 12th.

On Friday, March 13th we received an email from the producer that the Fireside would remain open for the foreseeable future. I had the opportunity to speak with him and the stage manager that day and they said the owner felt that if he was able to keep the theatre open safely he would prefer to do so in order to keep paying his employees. As a restaurant-theatre complex (not traditional dinner theatre, as anyone who has been to our callbacks knows) the Fireside employs hundreds of people between the theatre, the restaurant, the box office, and the gift shops.

Ryan Klopcik, the owner, also put out a statement to all employees and audiences about the steps the staff was taking to keep everyone safe. Obviously the cast was thrilled. We wanted to keep doing our show but we also didn’t have anything in the city to go back to. As we kept hearing the news of restaurants closing we knew we could be out of work for a long while so it was a huge relief to have a job for at least the next month.

Saturday, March 14th we were called into the theatre before our two show day to discuss logistics of us staying open. We came to the meeting in a cheerful mood, but were met with a different message than we had expected. Our director told us while the decision yesterday was to stay open, today they were considering it an ongoing deliberation. As more and more businesses closed throughout the country it became clear we were one of the few establishments still fully operating within the state of Wisconsin. Furthermore we were one of only a handful of theatres in the US that remained open. He told us no decision had been made yet, that they would keep us updated, and to treat every show as though it might be our last (he also gently reminded us that we should be performing that way anyway, a much needed light-hearted joke at a time of uncertainty).

Our shows on Saturday were amazing. Though we were performing for small audiences they were fully engaged and appreciative. You could feel the energy in the room. These were people who were laid off, uncertain about the coming weeks, and were so grateful for even a few hours of distraction and entertainment. Personally, I felt grateful to be able to use my talents in this way.

It felt like a great reminder of the power of theatre and of its importance in our society especially in uncertain and scary times.

Sunday, March 13th some of the cast did our daily yoga practice at one of the actor houses. We discussed being one of the only theatres open and agreed that it might be our last two show day. I made the decision to not be on social media for the day. Many people were posting about how irresponsible it was for theatres to remain open and I started reading really hateful language directed at our theatre specifically. That was extremely frustrating to me. Being isolated, away from a big city our production team did everything they could to continue paying their employees. They followed the instructions of state government and went above and beyond to ensure as much safety as possible. This whole situation is uncharted territory and it frustrated me that some people chose to express their opinions in such a negative way. I wanted to enjoy whatever time I had left with our incredible cast and audiences.

At 15 to places for the second show of the day our director came in and posted the closing notice. He said he came directly from the owner’s office who had just come to the decision. While it was sudden, it obviously wasn’t entirely shocking to the cast. He gathered everyone in the green room, told us to have an amazing last show and that we’d meet again at the end to discuss logistics.

That’s the moment the reality of the situation sunk in.

Everyone cried, I’m tearing up just thinking about it. To have to say goodbye to this incredible group of people and head out into an unfamiliar world was overwhelming. The women’s dressing room was an amazing group of ladies who all agreed to put our phones away and enjoy the sh*t out of our last show.

We had to hold the curtain for an additional 5 minutes because no one was ready in time and our stage manager told us to take all the time we needed. During act 2 we went up into the balcony to watch the boys do their final crapshooters ballet and cried together seeing the passion they put into their performances. Throughout the show the assistant to the director came around with a clipboard asking us where we would like the theatre to fly us so they could make preparations for our departure on Tuesday, March 17th. It was surreal to return our costumes as the show went on and try to pack up our stations. Our final curtain call was particularly emotional because the audience was unaware this was our last show. Those who have worked at the Fireside know that one cast member gives the curtain speech at the end, and Michael Glavan gave a beautiful thank you to our final audience as well as the whole Fireside family that made our time there so special. We met in the theatre after the show and were told everyone would be receiving two weeks severance pay, a gesture for which I am truly so grateful. Before leaving the theatre the entire cast and crew shared a tearful champagne toast on stage.

That night we headed back to one of the two actor houses, made as much food as we could and drank all of the liquor we had left. Monday was spent packing, and we met for some games and a movie at one of the houses in the evening. We were taken to the airport on Tuesday and have been keeping in touch via our show’s facebook group since we left.

I took the opportunity to fly to Anchorage, Alaska to stay with my best friend from college for a few days. It had been a goal of mine to visit her this year and I saw this as a great chance to make that happen. Alaska is AMAZING for social distancing. I spent 5 days there hiking in the snow and escaping from the world for a bit. After the stress of the week I felt the need to be somewhere remote and do something completely different. I flew from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale yesterday to be with my parents and am now starting to figure out what life is going to look like. My survival job had been working as an event manager and brand ambassador, which of course is another industry that’s being hit as hard as the theatre. So for now I’m going to enjoy my time with family, do a lot of yoga, search for some remote work and take it one day at a time.

Thank you, Maggie, for the opportunity to share my story. It felt really good to write everything down and reflect on the past week and a half. I am inspired by our community, by everyone making the best of the situation, and I know we will come out of this stronger, more inspired, and ready to change the world with our art.

Sending love to you and all the creatives out there.

Melissa Buriak is a New York City based actress. She has spent the last few years performing at the Fireside Theatre in Guys and Dolls (Hot Box Girl, Ensemble), Annie (Ensemble), Elf (Deb), 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), and Miracle on 34th Street (Cheryl Finfer, Ensemble). When not performing in Fireside shows, she assists the producer of the Fireside with his NYC auditions. Melissa also performs regularly with Guilty Pleasures Cabaret and serves as the Tap Director for the company. She has toured with GPC throughout the US and internationally and hopes to continue spreading their message of female empowerment throughout the world. www.MelissaBuriak.com @Melissa.Buriak

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