Emma Ryan is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle that despite attempts to adapt to the post-pandemic era with reduced budgets, discounts, or streaming performances, data from the Berkshires' largest performing arts venues indicate a 30 percent decline, on average, in ticket sales and attendance from 2019. Even when ticket sales were high this season, last-minute cancellations or no-shows left venues such as the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, and Barrington Stage Company with smaller audiences than hoped for. “The arts are [unfortunately] a luxury, not a necessity,” said Chelsea Gaia, director of marketing and communications at Barrington Stage Company. “And we are not in a luxury economy.” Past summers have been hard on the performing arts. The pandemic shutdown hit in March 2020 with concerts canceled, refunds issued and new pandemic protocols had to be created for when audiences would return. Even once COVID-19 vaccines became available, the summer of 2021 was as unpredictable as the one before. This was supposed to be a rebound year, the first normal season for arts venues that could be measured against pre-pandemic years. The rebound did not fully materialize. Ticket sales and attendance are still down. Tanglewood is selling an average of 6,900 tickets per performance, a rate 10 percent better than 2019, but only filling, on average, 4,800 seats, 16 percent lower than pre-2019. Jacob’s Pillow and Shakespeare and Company say the omicron variant of COVID-19 hit just as they were planning their seasons, forcing them to reevaluate expectations. The Theater Barn in New Lebanon ended its 38th season early, then shut down for good. “Sadly, the combined effects of COVID and wage and price inflation have rendered the continued operation ... unsustainable,” according to its website. The Bousquet Folk Festival in August sold almost 400 tickets but was only attended by 150 people. Gaia, marketing director at Barrington Stage Company, said even a rave review from The New York Times for its production of "Ain’t Misbehavin" failed to get the production to its sales goal. Given the challenges, performing arts organizations are learning to adapt. “Audience habits are changing,” said Jared Fine, chief marketing officer of Jacob’s Pillow. “... As we look to strategize for the future, I would say the Pillow is continuing to explore and expand our online offerings, as well as the data that we're gathering this year to inform next summer's in-person programming.” Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.