By Kat Bryant

The Daily World

The 7th Street Theatre will be glowing red on Tuesday night to call attention to the financial plight of the live events industry.

It’s part of a national event called Red Alert RESTART. From 9 p.m. to midnight Tuesday, venues and supporting businesses across the country will display red lighting to signify that the industry is on “red alert” as a result of COVID-19 shutdowns.

It’s also a call to action for Congress to pass the RESTART Act (Senate Bill 3814 and House Resolution 7481), which would establish a loan program for businesses affected by COVID-19 and extend the loan forgiveness period for Paycheck Protection Program loans made to the nation’s hardest hit businesses.

According to a statement released by the local organizers, Phil Foster and Jamie Brand, an estimated 12 million Americans in the live events industry are currently unemployed or furloughed, or have lost up to 90% of their income. The live events business was among the first to shut down in March and will be one of the last to reopen, they said.

“Half of my job and most of the enjoyment comes from working with our local performers,” said Brand, who manages the 7th Street Theatre. “So, I shared (the information) with the other performance places I could think of quickly. It is a simple way to bring awareness without the stigma of a public gathering.”

In addition to performers, designers, artists, technicians, programmers and stagehands, supporting businesses are taking heavy economic hits, including rental shops, manufacturers and distributors of entertainment technology.

“It completely makes sense to bring attention to the fact that most of the people in the entertainment industry are out of work until we are past the COVID restrictions,” said Brand.

The theater and several other Hoquiam businesses will put out the red light on Tuesday in support of the effort. If anyone would like to participate and needs a red light, they are welcome to contact Brand at 360-593-1588 or jamieb@7thstreettheatre.com.