During the time I’ve stepped back from my theater column to welcome my third baby girl into the world, I’ve felt a twinge of guilt for the strong negative tone of my sprawling August story detailing the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Frederick’s performing arts community.

Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not backtracking that story. The lingering problems of the pandemic relayed to me by seven local theater professionals I quoted in that piece are very real and consequential. We still don’t know if certain segments of audiences, performers and volunteers will ever come back, nor whether balance sheets and budgets will ever be the same. One or more of those issues came up with almost every show I’ve written about this year.