It is unclear whether the postponement of Infinite Life is an outlier or a first indication that the theater industry is getting cold feet about the many reopenings planned this fall, on Broadway and off. Two Broadway shows, Springsteen on Broadway and Pass Over, are already running, and 15 more plan to start next month; there are also some plays already running in commercial and nonprofit venues around the city, and many of the citys larger nonprofits plan to resume presenting shows during the fall.
Broadway theaters are requiring audience members to show proof of vaccination and wear masks. And Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared that all performing arts theaters must require proof of vaccination for indoor performances as part of a mandate that applies to indoor dining, entertainment, and fitness.
Signature said it was still hoping to stage a revival of Anna Deavere Smiths Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 in October. Although Infinite Life would have been its first stage production, it would not have been the first use of the building: This summer, the nonprofit featured an installation called The Watering Hole, conceived by Lynn Nottage and Miranda Haymon, in its Frank Gehry-designed building, the Pershing Square Signature Center, a few blocks west of Times Square.
Baker, who won a Pulitzer in 2014 for The Flick, writes plays that are sometimes hard to describe, and very little has been released about this one, but a spokesman said there was a six-person cast. In news releases, the theater has described Infinite Life as a play about no end in sight and a new play that tackles persistent pain and desire.read more