The chief economic features of the live performing arts (theatre, concerts, comedy, etc) have made them especially vulnerable to the restrictions imposed during the pandemic. The ephemeral nature of the product, the multiplicity of performers and audiences in restricted spaces, the need for long-term planning for repertoire and performers to rehearse and perform it, the fact that many venues cannot be transformed to accommodate new restrictions and, furthermore, are centrally located requiring audiences to travel to them, all combine to render live performance very difficult with social distancing.
