It seems like the curtain on a years-long show of pandemic complications will never close for D.C.-area theaters, as they contend with another disruptive surge in COVID cases.

Theatre Washington, a coalition of more than 30 local theaters, announced the extension of a vaccine and mask requirement for patrons through at least July 31, even as most governing officials in the area forego any COVID interventions during the latest wave of infections.

“What we’ve been doing is checking in regularly with each other, looking at the numbers, trying to take into consideration performers, staff, and audiences, and determine if we’re going to extend it and under what terms,” says Amy Austin, the president and CEO of Theatre Washington, an alliance that includes venues like Ford’s Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Signature Theatre. “We find it important to work together to be a collaborative community, so we want to make sure that we’re relaying to audiences, people who want to return to the theater, what the requirements are likely to be.”

In March, the coalition conducted a survey of roughly 2,000 regular theater-goers to gauge their comfort level with COVID policies, including the possibility of removing mask and vaccine mandates. The majority surveyed were opposed to dropping a mask mandate at the end of April and more than 75% of respondents said they felt “very negatively” about getting rid of the vaccination requirement.

Austin says that Theatre Washington will continue to monitor case levels and then reassess their policies in July. No theater in the coalition is required to follow the latest extension but Austin says a majority will continue the current requirements.

“We’re living in a time of disruption. The theaters are not immune from that,” Austin says. But now in year three of a pandemic that’s forced the industry to jump through hoop after hoop to keep performers on stages and audiences in seats, she says “theaters have a strong sensibility about how to keep us safe.”

COVID cases have been on the rise in the region for the past month and one challenge to reassessing policies will be that experts now expect publicly-reported data to be a drastic undercount. And while the scope of the surge is difficult to quantify numerically, anecdotal reports of cancelled shows and last-minute understudies show the virus is impacting live performances. On Monday, Signature Theatre ran into COVID-related snags at its annual Sondheim Award Gala, one of the theater’s largest fundraisers.  Three Signature performers were slated to perform some of Carol Burnett‘s famous songs (the event was in her honor) but all three required understudies after COVID-related complications. (Every Signature employee is required to be vaccinated and boosted.)

“We were able to bring folks in at the last minute who were willing to step up and get on stage with less preparation than might have been ideal, and they absolutely crushed it,” says Signature’s managing director, Maggie Boland. “I will say it adds a layer of expense that is not sustainable, but is incredibly essential right now.”

One notable venue in the Theatre Washington alliance has chosen to drop its vaccine requirement. The Kennedy Center announced in late April that starting May 15, guests would no longer be required to show proof of vaccination. Masks are still required indoors. (Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to request for confirmation of their policies.)  A handful of local concert venues have also done away with COVID policies. Last month all venues under the I.M.P. group — 9:30 Club, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Lincoln Theatre, and The Anthem — dropped their vaccine and mask requirements, unless a performer requests that audiences wear masks and show proof of vaccination.

According to Boland of Signature Theatre, their audience wants to see COVID precautions continue. The theater is still struggling to get its attendance back to pre-COVID levels, and Boland says they’re hoping to make attendees feel as comfortable as possible with precautions in place.

“We know that we want our audience to have a lot of confidence coming into the building… and we don’t want to do anything that shakes that confidence,” Boland says.