Rehearsal Safety

Abstract

This chapter reviews strategies for maintaining a safe environment during your rehearsals and performance. The recent pandemic made health and safety the prime issue, creating new protocols and awareness of audience and performer health. Proper safety protocols promote productivity and efficient use of rehearsal time. Safety is of special significance for site-specific works given the many potential sites and the range of environmental and design challenges they present. Safety concerns from the perspective of all stakeholders of a site-specific production are covered, from the producers, collaborators, performers, and production and technical staff to the audience members. Site-specific works, like other performance works, can pose emotional challenges for the performers and audiences. A checklist of issues to be aware of is provided, which includes physical distancing, bathrooms/changing rooms, footwear, clothing/costumes, nourishment, weather, urban grime, first-aid kits, ice, umbrellas, towels, mobile phone chargers, etc. Site-specific work offers the excitement of working outside the comforts of conventional performance spaces, but it should not engender fear of injury for participants or audiences.