ATTN: Friends of ColdTowne
RE: COVID-19 updates
March 16, 2020 UPDATE
ColdTowne Students, Staff, Performers and Audience Members –
In the interest of public health and taking care of our most vulnerable, we are pausing all in-person ColdTowne activities, shows and classes until April 6th. At that time, we will reassess our next steps and act in the best interest of the community.
We are obviously disappointed, but your safety and the safety of our neighbors is more important than any comedy show, class or rehearsal. We look forward to rescheduling our planned performances for later in the year.
This crisis will severely impact many small, local businesses that rely on public assembly as well as the employees and staff who depend on them to eat and pay rent. We are committed to paying all of the dedicated artists who depend on us for as long as we can. But with no revenue coming in, we cannot do that forever.
To that end, if you have the means to do so, you can support us in the following ways:
- Paypal donations to JamCityLLC@gmail.com. Or USE THIS LINK.
- If you have purchased a ticket to a show that has been cancelled, you will be contacted via email about refunds shortly. Please consider donating that amount to the theater.
- We are exploring options for gift cards and will post more information as we have it.
Additionally, we have 200 bored comedians sitting around with nothing to do, so look forward to some announcements about streaming content and other online shenanigans soon!
Remember, the most important thing right now is to take care of each other by practicing social distancing so we can #flattenthecurve. In the meantime we are not going anywhere, we are here for you and will stay connected on line. Continue to take care of yourself, check in with each other, ask for help when you need it, and support local artists however you can. We got your back!
-Signed,
Dave, Rachel, Jastroch, Will, Haley, Lilli, Stephanie, Ari, Preston, Jennifer, Wendy, and the rest of the ColdTowne Staff and Teachers!
March 13, 2020 UPDATE
Students, Performers and Audience Members,
In the interest of public health and because the safety, security and well being of our community is our number one priority, we have made the decision to cancel or postpone this weekend’s performances at ColdTowne Theater.
We have not made this decision lightly, and will be assessing next steps Monday morning. In the meantime, please be advised of the following:
- Session 2002 Start date has been pushed back to April 6th. As of this moment, we’re optimistic that we will be able to start the next session of classes in a timely fashion.
- The space is still available for rehearsals, jams, auditions, and any rentals you may have scheduled. Please limit physical contact, observe hand washing guidelines and disinfect surfaces before and after you leave. If you have a question about your specific event, contact the producer. If you have made a rental and wish to cancel, email coldtownerentals@gmail.com ASAP.
In addition to the well being of our students, performers and audiences, our primary concern is making sure the people who count on ColdTowne to pay their rent are continued to be compensated for as long as we can manage.
Because of this, the next several months may prove to be challenging to the theater. Many of you have asked what you can do to help. First of all, our strength is in our community. The best thing you can do is take care of yourselves and your loved ones by following all health and safety recommendations. No theater, show, class, internship or performance is worth your safety or sense of well being.
Second, if you have purchased a ticket for a show that has been cancelled, we kindly ask that, if you have the means, you consider donating that money to the theater. In the coming days, we may create more options to support our small business.
We believe that the comedy we make at ColdTowne is important, because it has the power to bring us together in times of crisis. Hell, that’s literally the founding principal of ColdTowne. Let’s take this time to use the awesome energy we’ve created to hang together in solidarity and get each other’s backs.
-ColdTowne Owners & Staff
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March 11, 2020
The security and safety of our patrons, audience members, students and employees is our highest priority always. While Austin is considered a low-risk community for COVID19 (novel coronavirus), we want to share with you the procedures we are currently implementing to keep our patrons, performers and staff safe when they come through our doors.
At present, all shows/performances, classes and workshops will remain scheduled and we are taking the lead of national, state, and local public health authorities as we implement proactive strategies in both of our facilities, ColdTowne Theater and the ColdTowne Conservatory.
Our facility cleaning procedures have been updated and we will be offering more hand sanitation options in our spaces. We’ve instructed our staff to remain home in the event that they are experiencing any signs of flu-like illness and we encourage you to do the same, should you feel the need. As you may know frequent hand-washing can keep you from getting sick from viral and bacterial infections, including the coronavirus.
We anticipate that this will be a speed bump and fully manageable. We will remain attentive and are prepared to make further decisions based on current needs and changing conditions. We encourage you to take excellent care of yourself and continue to see lots of shows while you enjoy ColdTowne as a place of laughter, fun and refuge during this time… and all times!
Thank you,
Dave, Rachel & Mike, co-owners ColdTowne Theater
Please don’t hesitate to reach out via email with any questions or concerns.