Stage three reopening restrictions mean that parts of our local arts and entertainment industry may have to remain closed for longer.

Artistic Director and CEO of Drayton Entertainment, Alex Mustakas, tells Kitchener Today with Brian Bourke on 570 NEWS, reopening will not make financial sense with Stage 3 indoor seating restrictions.

“There’s so many sanitizing protocols that you’ll have to put in place. You do still have to worry about an audience getting through a lobby or getting seated. What do you do with latecomers? Even our ushers are a little bit older so you have to protect them as well. I just don’t see this happening for a while.”

He says the arts and entertainment sector was one of the first industries to close and will likely be the last one to reopen.

“You know first of all, I think they’re making the right decision by limiting numbers of people in an auditorium. But for us, there are a few things that won’t work because having 50 people in a 600-seat theatre doesn’t make sense when you’re doing a show like Kinky Boots.”

Mustakas says they will likely not be reopening until Spring or maybe even until next Summer.

“Based on health authorities and on whether we come up with a vaccine and then will people take the vaccine. And then how comfortable would you be going into a crowded auditorium again and sitting beside people and laughing — it’s really really hit this sector hard.”