Scheduled to perform on 12/20-21 and 12/23, the 2021 Senior Play No Quarter adopts a variety of safety measures due to the impact of COVID-19 and its variants.
Xin-Tien Wu, the executive producer of No Quarter, responds that the crew is taking and enforcing safety measures to ensure both the safety of crew members and audiences. Wu says that to comply with regulations, every audience member must have their body temperature taken and fill out the TOCC (Travel history, Occupation, Contact history, and Cluster) form before entering the theater. If one’s body temperature is above 37.5 Celsius, he/she would be asked to leave the premises and be offered a full refund.
Non-faculty members are allowed to attend this year’s Senior Play. They need to provide their full name, phone number, and ID number to apply for FJCU Pass, an electronic pass that allows them to enter the school and venue. Wu further suggests that each audience member would have to sit in their assigned seats and that the whole venue would be disinfected after every performance.
As of the crew, every member of this year’s Senior Play will have their health status and vaccination record checked two weeks before due dates. Everyone will have their temperature taken each day, and will be required to wear masks except for actors rehearsing on stage. When asked if infection rates rise and might severely interfere with the performance, Wu replies that all rehearsals will stop immediately, and that performances will be taped and uploaded to a website to watch for free. Along with the performance, each section would also upload their work for display.
The view from the control room. Photo by Quentin Liao.
Yun-Qian Tsai, the director of No Quarter, affirms the purpose and necessity of a backup plan. As an actor in the 2021 Annual Play Frozen, she had experienced firsthand how COVID-19 disrupted and eventually cancelled the performance back in May. “The pandemic caught us all off guard,” Tsai recalls. “The play was canceled within two weeks. It was especially damaging to the crew since by then, the play was pretty much ready for display.” Tsai wants to make sure all the preparation for No Quarter would not go to waste even as another outbreak occurs. “During summer vacation, we made 10/31 the deadline to whether or not we will perform the play in the theater,” Tsai says. “If the condition does not allow us to do that, we will continue to make props and translate the subtitles. We will put it all up on the website for people to watch.”
The uncertainty also affected how the crew was recruited and early stages of preparation. “We ask actors to send in tapes via email for the online audition,” Tsai says. “As the school postponed the first day of the semester.” Tsai mentions that although this method does not differ tremendously from an in-person audition, “one cannot feel the gravitas each student possesses face to face.” Conditions were also too risky for in-person rehearsal, as Tsai opted for rehearsing online or through telephone. “Luckily we do not need to opt for the backup plan as the deadline on 10/31 passed.” However, Tsai shows her concern even as the crew came back on campus for rehearsal and preparation: “The outbreak in May certainly affects our mindset even as everything gradually returns to normal.” Tsai adds that “the crew is under tremendous pressure for fear that the play will be cancelled again.”
As of 11/22, the CDC requires wearing masks under all circumstances except indoor/outdoor activities and shooting personal/group photos both indoor and outdoor. The guidelines Fu Jen Catholic University provides when students are holding an event include an assessment form before the activity, safety measures before and during activities being held in school, and the organizer’s health status. The university requires organizers to complete a risk assessment before the event, which includes gathering TOCC information from participants, checking ventilation of the venue, enforcing social distancing (1.5 meters between each person indoor and 1 meter outdoor), assigning seats, assessing the duration of the event, disinfecting hands and wearing masks during the event.
Director, Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager Discussing Stage Directions. Photo by Quentin Liao.
Before the event, the university requires organizers to gather both the participant’s travel history and health status. Non-faculty members are required to apply for FJCU PASS or identification provided by the organizer. The organizer is required to remind participants of safety measures through different platforms, and put up posters at the venue. The organizer is required to disinfect the venue and equipment such as microphones or seats. The organizer should also establish contingency measures with local health authorities.
During the event, participants are required to wear masks, take body temperature, and disinfect their hands before entering the venue. Participants are required to sign in and sit in assigned seats. Organizers should abide by current measures on capacity and social-distance. Organizers should control the duration of the event and ensure individual hygiene. They are also required to establish self-health management within the group, such as documenting body temperatures starting from fourteen days before the event, and providing backup plans should anyone fall ill.
The uncertainty caused by COVID-19 looms on the crew and the production of No Quarter. The crew adopts a variety of precautions to ensure the show can and must go on. In one of his rants, Robin, the protagonist, utters “You have to look up. Don’t you. Forward. Up. Never be daunted.” Under the most dire circumstances, the No Quarter crew soldiers up and marches forwards toward the unknown.