The GALA Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights announced it would reopen soon with strict COVID prevention protocols in place. According to WAMU, it could be the first theater to reopen in the District and a test of how other entertainment venues could welcome audiences again, bringing vital in-person arts and culture back to the area. According to the GALA’s website, the venue has enacted a detailed plan for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus to facilitate shows scheduled to start in October.
“As we reopen, our foremost concern is health and safety,” said Rebecca Read Medrano, GALA’s Co-Founder and Executive Director. “We’ve been rooted in Columbia Heights for many, many years. We feel very connected to the community and feel that the work we do reflects the voices of the community and what goes on in the neighborhood and for the residents.”
When the theater reopens, patrons will be required to wear masks at all times when not drinking or eating; seats will be assigned six feet apart, with the exception of same-household groups who can request to sit together; temperatures of all ticket holders will be taken upon entry; and ticket scanning will be contactless via mobile phones.
The venue will also limit audience capacity based on DC’s guidance for each phase of the city’s reopening plan. The theater’s new HVAC system has been equipped with high-efficiency HEPA filters to clean the air. Hand sanitizer will be available and high-touch surfaces will be sanitized before and after shows.
GALA, which stands for Grupo de Artistas Latino Americanos and was founded in 1976, is an award-winning, national center for Latinx in the theater and located at the heart of the Columbia Heights neighborhood and its rich Latinx culture. Through the pandemic, the theater safely continued its Paso Nuevo youth program by having the youth record a podcast, Creatividad Latinax. GALA also provides bilingual education programming—now virtual—before and after their shows, including study guides and workshops on performances to promote cross-cultural understanding and kinship. The theater plans continue some virtual programming to reach those who are not able to or comfortable with attending a show in-person.
To read the full reopening plan and book tickets go to: https://www.galatheatre.org/post/reopeningplan.
