NEW YORK CITY: American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) have engaged the services of medical experts to assist with COVID-19 safety planning and ensure that their members are protected.

“Whether in the rehearsal hall, backstage, onstage, or in the theatre, SDC members and our collaborators need to know that the producers and theatre companies we work with have and are following science-driven guidelines for a safe workplace,” said Evan Yionoulis, SDC president, in a statement. “There is much to be done, and we are pleased to be able to work with this expert medical team as we rebuild the means to share live stories of our common humanity, so necessary in this time.”

AGMA represents opera performers, choral singers, and dancers, and SDC represents stage directors and choreographers. AGMA has more than 60 signatory companies, and SDC’s members include producers on Broadway, Off-Broadway, the League of Resident Theatre (LORT), among other companies and organizations. Together, the two unions will be working with a team led by Dr. Mark Cunningham-Hill that will include Dr. Laura S. Welch and Dr. Stephen J. Anderson in these efforts.

“AGMA and SDC are ready to work together with our team of doctors and our signatory companies to navigate the complex decisions surrounding reopening,” said Leonard Egert, national executive director of AGMA and Laura Penn, SDC executive director, in a joint statement. “With the expertise of Dr. Cunningham-Hill and his colleagues, we are confident we will identify the risks, outline ways to protect everyone, and achieve an agreement for a safe reopening. We are confident that we will emerge from this crisis with the utmost focus on our members’ health and safety.”