NEW YORK — Hurricane Sandy left a wide swath of devastation in its wake: storm damage, fire, floods and more. All of this has had a profound effect on both the people and businesses in the New York City Metro area and all around the Mid-Atlantic region—including the production industry. City Theatrical, Rosco, Rose Brand and 4 Wall have all communicated about their challenges in getting back up and running.
In an email on Thursday, Nov. 1, Gary Fails, president of City Theatrical wrote that they are still assessing the damage caused to their facilities by the severe flooding in the Meadowlands area. He wrote that all of their employees are safe and well after the storm, but “In the short term, CTI has no power, phone, or email so we are unable to ship to or communicate with customers. In the longer term, it will take weeks or longer to get back up and running.”
4Wall New York was “partially open” as of November 1. They were working with a skeleton crew, as many of their employees were still without power and staying home with their families. They were accepting rental returns at their secondary warehouse, located at 10 Oxford St., Moonachie, NJ, 07074. They asked that customers that had a pick-up scheduled to call ahead to confirm the readiness of their order. The crew was currently going through and testing all their equipment for water damage, and they were supplementing their inventory in New York with gear from the D.C. shop.
Other companies affected include Rosco, in Stamford, Conn. They lost power during the storm, and it wasn’t restored until Thursday, Nov. 1. Additionally, Rose Brand’s main number wasn’t working. They urged people to use their toll free number instead.
For anyone wanting theatrical supplies from a company located on the Eastern seaboard—even those with branches in other locations—remember these conditions when ordering expendables and gear and be flexible on time when ordering. As @backstagejobs wrote on Twitter: “Please be patient if contacting an East coast manufacturer/vendor. Not only may that office have damage, but staff homes may, too.”
