Jace Reinhard
Quick side note from Kat and Peter: Jace is a buddy of ours from our college days and one of the first people we thought of when Broadway shut down. He’s long deserved a Broadway debut and we got to be with him the night we found out it was finally happening. He took it in stride and, as you’ll see, has faced this with equal amounts of maturity, faith, and hope. Today, we’re going to try and think more like Jace.
What have you lost because of COVID-19?
Like so many other people in our arts communities (not to mention the rest of our country and around the world), I have lost employment due to the closures caused by this pandemic. I was recently cast in the upcoming Broadway production of the musical Sing Street (my debut, yay!), but now our rehearsal process has been cut short and our opening postponed. In fact, the day that Governor Cuomo announced the ban on large gatherings that shut down Broadway was the day we were supposed to have our first day of tech rehearsal in the theatre. So for many of us, the first time setting foot in that place was for a company meeting telling us we probably wouldn’t be back for a while. It was quite an emotionally confusing day.
What is something (a thought, a family member, a hope, a piece of art, a meme, a song, ANYTHING) that is getting you through?
My faith is crucial to me always, and it is all the more so when we’re surrounded by so much uncertainty. I keep trying (and not always succeeding) to return to a place of gratitude for what I’ve been given, and to focus on ways that I could bring help and hope to those who are in more difficult situations than my own. I have hope that we will see this situation turn around in a dramatic way and leave just as suddenly as it came on. My wife, Amanda, has also been a constant encouragement to me and- as anyone who knows her can attest, she’s made our apartment a boredom-free zone!
What do you think has an opportunity to change as a result of this time to reset?
I believe this will be an incredibly unifying time in human history. Shared challenges (and a shared enemy) have always been some of the quickest ways to connect people to one another, and there has not been a challenge to affect all humans the way this has in any of our lifetimes. I also hope that people can see how much our planet appreciates the breather it’s getting right now, and are inspired to make changes to their lifestyles to help keep it that way.
Anything else you'd like our readers to know during this time?
If you are having trouble overcoming anxiety right now, have financial needs, or are just feeling really lonely, please reach out to someone! I know I, for one, will be welcoming any outside contact right now and am eager to find ways to help out. We’re literally ALL in this together.
Quarantine Quickly:
Favorite snack: Cereal, which I’m thrilled is now appropriate at any hour of the day or night
Home workout routine (you know, if you're into that): Been slacking here, if I’m being honest (and it’s ok if you are, too)
What are you watching: Succession, Star Wars, Lego Masters
What you are reading: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, about to start A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
Yes or no… Out of pajamas before noon?: 1000% no.