To the HB Studio Community:
HB will postpone the start of Spring term until March 30, 2020. The Studio will be closed from Saturday, March 14 through March 29. Effective the evening of Friday, March 13, the remaining Winter classes are also cancelled.
You will have seen news about the rapidly evolving situation in NYC with the covid-19 coronavirus, and the closing of arts institutions, colleges, and theaters across the city and beyond.
Organizations are coming together in preemptive action to reduce public activities and circulation on mass transit, to prevent an escalation in the number of coronavirus cases. These actions are being taken out of shared concern for the most vulnerable people in our midst, and in solidarity with the health care workers who are the front line of this crisis. If we can act together now to slow the spread of the virus, we can give our healthcare system the time it needs to stay resilient.
If you are a full-time F1 visa student, we will be following up with additional details that relate specifically to your program. We will host a call-in briefing for F1 students early next week, and we urge you to reach out to Snezhana or Angela with questions, or to let us know if you need help or support of any kind.
At this time, we plan to resume classes on March 30. That said, there is much that is uncertain, so we will be evaluating the situation over these two weeks to make the most prudent decision about how to move forward. We hope to be back together in the Studio, but should it seem wisest to stay closed, we will also be introducing online versions of some classes and projects so that we can continue to work together remotely.
Most of HB’s staff will also be working remotely through March 29. We will be checking telephone messages regularly, but the fastest way to reach us with questions is on email. We will also be posting updates here on the home page of our web site.
In addition to spring term classes, auditions for the advanced scene study showcase, and March public events in the theater, will be postponed until a later date.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions. Your comments and concerns are important to us.
This was a tough decision but we are certain it is the right one. We will be in touch as things develop, and we hope you will stay in touch with us as well.
With best regards,