Final Performance Of Hair At ARHS Postponed Due To COVID
Scene from the Amherst Regional High School Production of "Hair" on April 7, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of John Bechtold
After two successful performances of “Hair” at the high school last weekend, the Saturday evening performance was canceled after several members of the cast and crew tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday morning. Ticket holders were informed by email that the cost of their tickets would be refunded electronically. Director John Bechtold reported that all affected students are doing well, but are disappointed at the cancellation of their last performance. A final performance has been rescheduled for April 29. Tickets can be purchased here.
The COVID dashboard for the public schools indicated that there were 17 positive tests at the high school on Monday, April 11, and 10 on Tuesday, after only one positive case the previous 10 days. Cases are also rising in the elementary schools, with six being reported at Crocker Farm, two at Fort River, and one at Wildwood on April 12.
Bechtold said that the “Hair” cast and crew have been working together since December. Rehearsals have been “mask optional” since the Board of Health and School Committee lifted the mask mandate on March 14. All audience members were required to show proof of vaccination. He said that many students and their parents agreed that the responsible thing to do was to cancel Saturday’s show.
Last year, the high school staged an outdoor performance of “The Sound of Music” due to Covid precautions. Bechtold said, “It’s still a challenging time out there, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time the performing arts and COVID brush up against each other. We hope to continue finding our way forward with our students and the support of our community.”
Thanks, Maura, for posting this reminder that COVID-19 is still running rampant in Amherst and, though less dangerous to the healthy and vaccinated, still causes significant harm. At the least, anyone contracting COVID will be isolated and out of commission for five days or more, and they risk infecting others and suffering possible long COVID symptoms.
The ARPS Dashboard shows that fifty high schoolers tested positive in the month of April and consequently either missed a week of school or their April vacation. I was very disappointed to see that the rescheduled production of Hair last Friday continued to allow cast members to perform unmasked. This seems to me a lapse of good judgment.