We appreciate the trust and confidence of our families to allow us to provide an opportunity for their children to engage in the performing arts in the midst of this crisis, and are making every effort to provide the safest and most healthy experience possible.

Our Notification Protocol has been created with consultation of our 29-member Task Force and meets or exceeds the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and County and State Health Department’s requirements.

These are uncharted waters for all of us, but we also recognize that now, more than ever, our youth need the opportunity for community, creativity and the example of our Ten Characters in their lives.

The intent of this Protocol is to provide the appropriate level of notification and transparency to COVID-related incidents while protecting the privacy rights of those participants affected.  Public notifications will expand as the risk and need for awareness for the safety of NTPA’s participants expand.

In those instances where a student may not be able to participate onsite in the scenarios outlined below, NTPA will make every effort to allow for their online participation.

  • December 2021 Guidance from CDC on quarantine

Quarantine and Notification Protocol

  • If a student or parent participant receives a positive COVID-19 test result:

    • They should immediately notify the Director of their class or show and send an email to BESAFE@ntpa.org outlining the circumstances.
    • They must refrain from participating in in-person NTPA activities or coming onsite to NTPA for 5 days. Participants must be fever free before returning to in-person NTPA activities.
    • If returning on-site within 10 days of testing positive, participants must wear a mask at all times, including when performing on stage.

  • If a student or parent participant has experienced a “Close Contact” as defined by the CDC with someone that has received a positive COVID-19 test result:

    • They should immediately notify the Director of their class or show and send an email to BESAFE@ntpa.org outlining the circumstances.
    • They must refrain from participating in in-person NTPA activities or coming onsite to NTPA for 5 days unless they have received appropriate vaccination as defined by the CDC (have received a booster shot, have received a second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within 6 months, or have received a J&J vaccine within 2 months).
    • If returning on-site within 10 days of close contact, participants must wear a mask at all times, including when performing on stage.
    • Participants should get tested 5 days after close contact.

  • For all cases reported to NTPA:

    • If it is determined that there exists a reasonable possibility that any other persons on NTPA premises might have been exposed to an infectious scenario, the situation will be immediately escalated, reviewed and logged with the County Health Department.  NTPA will not share contact information without the permission of the participant or legal guardian.
    • NTPA will strictly follow the guidance of the County Health Department as regards further notices or recommendations for quarantine or other actions for those individuals or groups that have experienced a “Close Contact” as defined by the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/public-health-recommendations.html). Should participants in a cast, class or show be exposed to an actively infectious scenario, the participants in that activity will be notified via email as directed by the County Health Department.
    • The Management Committee of the NTPA Governing Board of Directors and staff members will also be advised as appropriate. Should a broader exposure take place or place at risk larger groups, NTPA may make appropriate public notifications as guided by the County Health Department.

  • Should an active case be discovered while the participant is on an NTPA site:

    • If a child, the parents will be contacted, and the child immediately transported by the parents to home or care facility. The child should either wait outside the theatre (accompanied by an assigned adult) or wait inside a designated practice room or studio.
    • If an adult, the individual must immediately leave the facility and return home or to a care facility.
    • The areas used by the infected individual will be made unavailable for 24 hours (when possible) and then cleaned and disinfected before any reuse is permitted.

Unfortunately no organization can guarantee that participants in theatre, sports, camps or any other activity can avoid the risks of COVID-19 infection, and while we are taking reasonable and appropriate measures to mitigate those risks, we should anticipate that there might be members of the NTPA family that will test positive and contract this virus. Participants acknowledge that going into the public in the midst of this virus outbreak carries risks, and NTPA cannot guarantee that they will not be exposed to or contract COVID-19.

We will continue to monitor and upgrade our COVID-19 protocol over time, and are making all reasonable efforts to reduce the risk of community spread of COVID-19 while developing the character of youth on our stages.