The coronavirus pandemic has had an immediate and dramatic effect on the iconic Ashland theater company.
For you, t 80 percent, or four of every five osf employees, are now without a job.
The summer season gone in an instant as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life.
(topic key) it adds up to about 400 full-time staff members, artists and seasonal workers now without work.
Workers will still receive their o-s-f health benefits paid for two additional months.
And most of the company members plan to return in september when performances are set to resume.
But it doesn't make the news any easier to stomach.
(take danny key) danny lin says, "it's tough.
As an actor, all of us are out of work right now... we're dipping into limited savings.
Like, i'm gonna have to lean on my parents or something like that.
We're all reaching out to people who are also having to cut back."
And this cancellation will hurt local businesses as well.
Tonight on newswatch 12 at 6, how osf employees and local business owners are dealing with today's news.
In ashland, josh shelton, newswatch 12.
Have canceled thousands of performances.
As of march 24th- the reported financial loss to-date is more than 8-point-6 million dollars.
The cultural trust board of directors held an emergency meeting saturday.
It unanimously voted to use up 10-million dollars of its 29-million dollar permanent fund.
The money will help create an emergency relief funding program.
The program requires approval from the state lawmakers.
The state legislatures is expected to take the issue up in a
The Shakespeare Festival said on Friday that it will push back its season until September 8 due to COVID-19 and make drastic cuts..