I am writing regarding the current vaccination policy of the SJI Community Theatre; specifically, for students’ family and friends attending the Friday Harbor High School musical, Footloose.
When community members attend a school event indoors, the only Covid requirement is to put a mask on. I request the San Juan Island Community Theatre mimic this policy for the production of Footloose.
Regular Theatre patrons have come to terms with either being vaccinated or subjecting themselves to testing at the door. It is their personal choice and are okay with it in order to attend the Theatre’s regular shows.
The family and friends of the students in the play are independent of the regular Theatre patrons. These people want to come and support the students in the play (the kids benefit greatly from this support). This is the community, and many individuals have principles, beliefs, or concerns that differ from the board and staff of the Community Theatre, who determine the entry requirements of the Theatre.
Because this broad-based group of HS play attendees is NOT the regular set of individuals showing up at the Theatre, the Theatre’s testing “exception,” a swab-up-the-nose test to be done on the unvaccinated, is not acceptable. These attendees simply want to see their kids in a play; it is far beyond recreational enjoyment—it is deeply personal. Such a heart-strung box-office draw should not be pre-conditioned with segregated, invasive testing. Anyone could be Covid-positive, so why focus in on a select group? Many people will not subject themselves to this testing, and will miss the opportunity to both support and enjoy the efforts of the students in the play.
It is a very reasonable request to ask the SJI Community Theatre to relax the vaccine/testing requirements for the run of Footloose, where many non-regular visitors will attend. Perhaps one night could be offered with the regular vaccine/testing requirement in place, but for the rest of the nights it would be a very kind and gracious act to the community if they were allowed to attend the show without being subjected to an invasive test.
Matt Marinkovich
San Juan Island
