best of enemies cancellation | covid-19

Dear PT family,

In light of rapidly developing measures to limit the impact of the Coronavirus in our community, Pacific Theatre has made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining performances of Best Of Enemies, which had been scheduled to close March 21. While authorities have not mandated the closing of venues under 250 seats, their recommendations for social distancing would be difficult to guarantee in our theatre space, which is known and valued for its intimacy.

Ticket holders for cancelled performances will be contacted directly by our staff to make arrangements, offering a variety of options with regard to their tickets. We ask that ticket holders please DO NOT call the Box Office regarding your tickets until you hear from us, in order for our small staff to handle the complexities of the situation as smoothly as possible. You are welcome to e-mail tickets@pacifictheatre.org with broader ticketing questions, and we will respond as quickly as we can.

Though we believe this decision by our Board of Directors reflects the company's values of serving our community with artistic, relational, spiritual, and financial integrity, it was a difficult one, involving both concern for public well-being and regret at the loss of such a substantial and significant piece of theatre. It has been a high water mark in our season, and we recognize the disappointment this abrupt closure will cause for those who have not yet seen the play, and for the artists who have invested such heart and passion into the work. But we respect the proactive stance being taken in our province to address the much more dire potential threat to the health of our community, and wish to play a role in that initiative.

We strive to care for Pacific Theatre staff and artists with the same intention we direct towards our patrons and our neighbours. Though ticket revenues will be significantly impacted by this decision, Pacific Theatre has committed to paying our Best Of Enemies artists for the duration of their contract.

While this closure is right for the health of our community, it creates profound financial hardship, not only for non-profit arts organizations which operate on very narrow margins, but also for individual artists whose employment may be compromised in coming days. We will need your help. If it is within your means, please consider making a financial contribution to help sustain our people and avoid lay-offs in this uncertain time.

Ron Reed & Ian Farthing
Artistic Director & Executive Director
Pacific Theatre