To the Editor:

The Princeton Festival regrets to announce the cancellation of its 2020 season. This includes 22 performances of nine events in June, plus 15 free lectures, workshops, and special events scheduled to start in May.

Naturally, it is frustrating not to be able to present the wonderful season of performing arts that our Executive and Artistic Director Richard Tang Yuk, his staff, and our enthusiastic volunteers have worked so hard to put in place. We also know that our valued audiences and supporters in the community will be disappointed to see these events canceled.

Yet we must take this step in the face of the coronavirus pandemic — it is our duty as a responsible member of our community. Our first concern is the welfare and safety of all of our valued artists, staff, volunteers, and patrons, and we are acting in conformance with directives and guidelines put in place by government and health officials at the federal and state levels.

Those who hold tickets to 2020 performances will be able to redeem, transfer, or donate the value of their purchases. We will honor 2020 gift cards for the 2021 season.

Yes, we are already finalizing plans for an outstanding season next year. We are also looking into the possibility of staging a few events this fall, to provide access to the joy of live performance once the crisis is over.

We especially want to thank our audiences and donors for their understanding in this extraordinary time. The Princeton Festival’s mission is to enrich the communities we serve through world-class performing arts. Those communities have rewarded our efforts with enthusiastic, wholehearted support. We look forward to their continued involvement, and to future seasons of great performances.

The arts and in particular the performing arts are of even greater importance in times of unprecedented distress, providing comfort and hope when we need it most. The Princeton Festival will continue to support its communities during this time of great austerity with joyful digital content through our website and social media.

Benedikt Von Schröder
Chair of the Board of Trustees
The Princeton Festival