August, 2022

WFT@BU is committed to promoting a safe campus environment. Our policy is regularly reviewed and the most up-to-date information will be posted on our website.  Performers will be un-masked and abide by both BU and Actor’s Equity regulations. All WFT on campus staff are BU Covid-19 compliant. We also strongly encourage all visitors to campus to be vaccinated.

In accordance with current University safety protocol, audience members are strongly encouraged to wear a mask. WFT@BU will not be requiring audience members to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test. WFT@BU will not be socially distancing in the theatre. There will be no eating or drinking allowed in the theatre. Any person with symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 should not attend WFT@BU.

March 22, 2022

Boston University encourages all visitors to be full vaccinated, but as of March 7, 2022, fitness venues and venues that host ticketed and non-ticketed entertainment and athletic events open to the general public will no longer be requiring proof of vaccination for entry.

Short-term visitors to campus, including those who are briefly on campus to attend a gathering or event, are required to follow BU mask-wearing requirements, as well as municipal, state, and federal regulations. Hosts are responsible for ensuring that their visitors follow these rules.

January 12, 2022

Wheelock Family Theater will continue to follow Covid-19 guidelines set by the City of Boston and Boston University surrounding the health and safety of our staff, artists and audiences.* By the time Wheelock Family Theatre is in performances, patrons 5-11 will need to provide proof of one dose of the vaccine and patrons 12+ will need to provide proof of full vaccination. All audience members must wear a mask at all times. Performers will be vaccine compliant, un-masked, and will abide by regulations set by the City of Boston, Boston University, and Actor’s Equity Association. Any participant with symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 should not engage in group activities and should seek medical advice. For the most updated information on Boston’s “B Together” plan, please visit: https://www.boston.gov/departments/mayors-office/introducing-b-together.

*Guidelines are subject to evolve. By purchasing a ticket to a WFT@BU production, I acknowledge I will abide by WFT@BU Covid-19 protocols.

November 4, 2021

Wheelock Family Theatre is required to follow all Boston University Covid-19 protocols. Boston University is committed to promoting a safe campus environment and has enacted a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all members of the University who are on campus. Visitors to campus, including those attending an event, will be required to follow Boston University safety protocols as well as municipal, state, and federal regulations. In accordance with current University safety protocolcloth face coverings or disposable masks must be worn indoors at all times when not eating or drinking. Performers will be un-masked and abide by both BU and Actor’s Equity regulations. We also strongly encourage all visitors to campus to be vaccinated. Any participant with symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 should not engage in group activities and should seek medical advice.

By purchasing a ticket to a WFT@BU production, I acknowledge I will abide by WFT@BU Covid-19 protocols.

September 16, 2021

WFT@BU is committed to promoting a safe educational environment for students, faculty, and staff in accordance with current state and local public safety guidelines. We are excited to return to in-person programming. In order to do so as safely as possible, all participants in WFT@BU in-person theatre arts classes and rehearsals must follow the following guidelines:

  • All students must provide proof of vaccination upon registering for the class. If you wish to request a religious exemption, please contact us at WFTed@bu.edu. All teachers of WFT@BU in-person programming will be vaccinated.
  • Masks will be required for all students and faculty in accordance with Boston University’s mask policy. Boston University’s Face Covering’s policy
  • WFT@BU will require all students and staff to complete a symptom monitoring survey prior to each class/rehearsal.
  • All participants will be encouraged to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer throughout the course of the class/rehearsal.
  • Class/rehearsal activities will be designed to minimize contact and maximize social distancing to the extent possible.
  • Snack breaks/mask breaks will be taken outside whenever possible. When held indoors, strict social distancing will apply.
  • Any participant showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be isolated while arrangements are made for them to leave class/rehearsal.
  • Any participant who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been in contact with someone who has tested positive, will need to contact the Director of Education at jerih@bu.edu as soon as possible. We will keep families informed of any potential exposure.
  • We will continue to monitor public safety recommendations and be prepared to adjust the structure and nature of our classes and performances as necessary to adhere to current guidelines and regulations.

Previous Updates

April 15, 2020
  • Dear Wheelock Family Theatre Community,In order to best protect our community and artists during this time, it is with a heavy heart that we write to announce that Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University has made the difficult decision to postpone our remaining 39th season performances of The Little Prince and Bud, Not Buddy. We remain committed to telling these vital stories, and are actively searching for an opportunity to produce Bud, Not Buddy and The Little Prince in one of our upcoming seasons. These shows will go on!To quote, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince

    “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

    We appreciate that the main purposes of art during difficult times are to provide joy, community, and all that is essential from the heart. Let’s continue to be inspired at home by Bud, Not Buddy’s themes of strength, perseverance and family, and The Little Prince’s themes of imagination, exploration and curiosity.

    In order to best practice social distancing, Wheelock Family Theatre staff members have transitioned to remote working. Due to this, staff members will be directly in touch with ticket holders via email at WFTTix@bu.edu.

SUBSCRIBERS

Subscribers are truly the backbone of our programming. We not only value your commitment and dedication to our seasons, but also deeply appreciate your role in creating the Wheelock Family Theatre community.

Wheelock Family Theatre is a non-profit organization. If you would like to support Wheelock Family Theatre at this time, you are able to turn the remaining value of your subscription into a tax-deductible donation. Please know that any donation greatly helps support programming and artists at Wheelock Family Theatre during this difficult time.

You will have the option to:

  • Receive a credit for your remaining subscriber tickets to our 2020/2021, 40th anniversary season
  • Turn the value of your tickets into a charitable donation

SINGLE TICKET HOLDERS

Wheelock Family Theatre is a non-profit organization. If you would like to support Wheelock Family Theatre at this time, you are able to turn the value of your ticket into a tax-deductible donation. Please know that any donation greatly helps support programming and artists at Wheelock Family Theatre during this difficult time.

You will have the option to:

  • Exchange your tickets for another performance in our 2020-2021 40th anniversary season
  • Turn the value of your tickets into a charitable donation
  • Receive a refund for your ticket

EDUCATORS – STUDENT MATINEES

We appreciate your choosing to bring your students to the theatre and examine these stories in your classrooms. All schools that committed to a student matinee performance of The Little Prince or Bud, Not Buddy will enjoy a period of priority booking for that production as soon as the new dates are announced. If your school pre-paid for your group tickets, you may either apply this payment to a future student matinee performance, or email Wftgroup@bu.edu to request a full refund.

At this time, all educational learning previously begun will continue remotely, including our Winter Classes and our Teen Performance Ensemble’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone. We hope you will be able to support our Teen Ensemble in the spring for their virtual production as they embark on creating theater in this new, ever-changing environment.

With regard to programming that has yet to launch, President Brown and Provost Morrison announced the difficult decision to cancel all in person programming through August 15th. This means that our full Summer Program is canceled, including the week of August 17 “Under the Big Top.” Families registered for the summer will be contacted directly and will receive a full refund. While we are deeply saddened to not be together in person this summer, we hope to find creative ways to stay connected as a community.

We are still here for you. During this time we are apart we will be a resource to children and families and reach out throughout this spring and summer to share ways to encourage children to laugh, sing, dance, create, communicate, use their imaginations, and play!

To quote Christopher Paul Curtis, the author of Bud, Not Buddy –

“A bud is a flower-to-be. Waiting for just the right care and warmth to open up. It’s a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world.”

For now, we send each and every one of you a bud of love until we can meet again in a theatre full of roses. We wish you all the health and wellness of the universe from the safety of your own homes—that feeling of home is what Bud and the Little Prince go searching for, after all.

Questions, concerns or comments? Please reach out directly to our staff at WFTtix@bu.edu or WFTed@bu.edu.

Stay safe, be well,

The Wheelock Family Theatre Team

Emily Ranii, Jeri Hammond, Keith Orr, Nick Vargas, Jamie Aznive & Jenna Corcoran

Ways you can stay involved in the performing arts and community

Support your local arts organization and donate to Wheelock Family Theatre. Live theatre transforms lives! Donate Here

Support a local artist and donate to the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund or Boston Artist Relief Fund:

Take action! Join Wheelock Family Theatre and MassCreative by sharing your story and encouraging your State Senator and Representative to include arts and cultural organizations, artists, and independent contractors in all government stimulus, emergency funding, and economic recovery efforts. Click Here to share!

March 13, 2020

Dear Wheelock Family Theatre Community,

We, alongside you, have been following the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). As the health and well-being of our community is our top priority, we are postponing our upcoming production of The Little Prince and cancelling all spring Education programs through the end of April.

We continue to monitor the ongoing developments of COVID-19. We are currently planning to move forward with our production of Bud, Not Buddy and will work with any patron whose plans have changed due to COVID-19 to exchange or refund tickets.

Currently, there have not been any reported cases of COVID-19 within the Wheelock Family Theatre and Boston University communities. However, we find it crucial to join our Boston community members and partake in the preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect the safety of our community. We deeply appreciate our patrons, artists, teachers, and students, who have already committed to our spring programming.

We are aware that any change to programming significantly affects the lives and livelihoods of artists, teachers, students, and parents, particularly at a time when arts organizations and schools across the nation are closing due to COVID-19. If you are in a position to give, please consider donating your ticket or tuition to Wheelock Family Theatre to support artists and teachers or to our Education Scholarship Program to support students and parents during this unprecedented time.

We appreciate that, under normal circumstances, the performing arts offer safe spaces for community members to come together, reflect, and heal. We look forward to offering these shared experiences for all of our families as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. We wish you all health and wellness in the meantime.

If you have registered for an Education Class during March or April Vacation:

Members of our education team will be in touch to provide full refunds and/or work with you to provide a credit for a future program. The education staff can be reached at (617) 353-2994 or at WFTEd@bu.edu

If you have purchased a ticket to The Little Prince, or are a subscriber:

We will follow up shortly with specific run dates. We appreciate your understanding during this time and hope you are able to join us for future performances. The box office can be reached at: (617) 353-3001 or at WFTtix@bu.edu

Resources: