PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Varla Jean Merman, portrayed by Jeffery Roberson, holds an N95 facemask during a performance of the parody song "Smooth Ventilator" (based on Sade's "Smooth Operator") as part of The Judy & Varla Show at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The show features comedy by Judy Gold and a drag performance by Varla Jean Merman. The show was originally scheduled to be performed at The Art House venue on Saturday nights throughout the summer, but as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic was moved to Wednesday nights outdoors by the pool at the Crown & Anchor. Social distancing allows 80 people in the audience and according to producer Mark Cortale has been selling out every week. "I'm thrilled to have this show running but of course it's bittersweet [not to be at The Art House]. This show is kind of a lifeline... This may be Jeff and Judy's only time working in the next 6 months to a year. People who are coming here have been starved for entertainment. In terms of the venue it's on the water in Provincetown. It couldn't be any nicer," Cortale said. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. People walk along the busy Commercial Street area of Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times

For the New York Times, I spent an evening in Provincetown photographing the city's response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, including their Town Ambassador program and an outdoor performance of the The Judy & Varla Show at the Crown & Anchor. The entire downtown area of Provincetown has been made a mandatory mask zone 24 hours a day and nightclubs, a mainstay of the city in summers, have not been allowed to open.

It was quite the sight seeing the normally-bustling streets almost empty at 11pm--the owner of a pedicab company in Provincetown told me that's right when things would really be getting going in previous summers.

Thanks to Jessie for the call!

PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Shirts commemorating the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims' landing in North America feature pilgrims with facemasks in the window of the Hook shop on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Town Ambassador Nick Velchev wears a neon shirt and red sash as he reminds visitors of the mandatory mask requirements along Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A sign at the Crown & Anchor reads "Masks are Mandatory / Temperature readings may be required / Please observe 6' social distance" in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. George Strus, of New York, watches The Judy & Varla Show at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The show features comedy by Judy Gold and a drag performance by Varla Jean Merman. Strus said of the performance, "I thought they were funny and that's all I wanted in Provincetown: to laugh and have fun." The show was originally scheduled to be performed at The Art House venue on Saturday nights throughout the summer, but as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic was moved to Wednesday nights outdoors by the pool at the Crown & Anchor. Social distancing allows 80 people in the audience and according to producer Mark Cortale has been selling out every week. "I'm thrilled to have this show running but of course it's bittersweet [not to be at The Art House]. This show is kind of a lifeline... This may be Jeff and Judy's only time working in the next 6 months to a year. People who are coming here have been starved for entertainment. In terms of the venue it's on the water in Provincetown. It couldn't be any nicer," Cortale said. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A T-shirt featuring a man wearing a facemask is seen in a window of the Adams Nest shop on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. Ten percent of sales of the shirt support AIDS Support Group Cape Cod. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A sign on the window of The Cotton Gallery on Commercial Street advertises facemasks and other PPE for sale in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A sign reads "Locally Made Masks! at... The Shell Shop" on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A statue of a naked man wears a facemask outside The Mews Restaurant and Cafe on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A server walks through the crowd during The Judy & Varla Show at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The show features comedy by Judy Gold and a drag performance by Varla Jean Merman. The show was originally scheduled to be performed at The Art House venue on Saturday nights throughout the summer, but as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic was moved to Wednesday nights outdoors by the pool at the Crown & Anchor. Social distancing allows 80 people in the audience and according to producer Mark Cortale has been selling out every week. "I'm thrilled to have this show running but of course it's bittersweet [not to be at The Art House]. This show is kind of a lifeline... This may be Jeff and Judy's only time working in the next 6 months to a year. People who are coming here have been starved for entertainment. In terms of the venue it's on the water in Provincetown. It couldn't be any nicer," Cortale said.

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Medical figurines are seen for sale in the window of House of Monty's on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. A sandwich board outside the Squealing Pig restaurant advertises outdoor dining in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 23, 2020. Signs reading "Entering Mandatory Mask Zone" and "Mandatory Mask Zone At All Times" are seen in a Highway Department pickup truck before being installed along Commercial Street as part of enforcement of viral control measures enacted by local government in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Thu., July 23, 2020. Previous versions of the sign and rule stated that masks only be worn from 9am to 9pm on Commercial Street between Bangs and Pleasant Streets. A recent vote expanded the mask order to between Bangs and Franklin Streets, 24 hours a day. These new signs were installed on July 23, 2020, by a Highway Department crew. The facemask order is part of the town's efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. People eat on the beach behind The Canteen restaurant on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. The audience watches as Varla Jean Merman, portrayed by Jeffery Roberson, performs as part of The Judy & Varla Show at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The show features comedy by Judy Gold and a drag performance by Varla Jean Merman. The show was originally scheduled to be performed at The Art House venue on Saturday nights throughout the summer, but as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic was moved to Wednesday nights outdoors by the pool at the Crown & Anchor. Social distancing allows 80 people in the audience and according to producer Mark Cortale has been selling out every week. "I'm thrilled to have this show running but of course it's bittersweet [not to be at The Art House]. This show is kind of a lifeline... This may be Jeff and Judy's only time working in the next 6 months to a year. People who are coming here have been starved for entertainment. In terms of the venue it's on the water in Provincetown. It couldn't be any nicer," Cortale said. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Few people are seen walking along Commercial Street at around 11pm in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. With nightclubs closed and bars forced to close by 11, nightlife has largely disappeared from the town this summer. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Upturned chairs are seen through the windows of the temporarily closed Post Office Cafe & Cabaret on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Taxi operator Dorothy Conway, of Conway Cabbie, waits for customers outside Provincetown Town Hall at around 10:30pm on a nearly-empty Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. With nightclubs closed and bars forced to close by 11, nightlife has largely disappeared from the town this summer. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. Pedicab operator Galib Galib waits for customers outside Provincetown Town Hall at 11 pm on a nearly-empty Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. With nightclubs closed and bars forced to close by 11, nightlife has largely disappeared from the town this summer. Galib says, "I would say we're down to 5% business [of a normal year]. Like 95% is missing." He said that he normally has around 30 employees in his pedicab business, but this year only has 6 or 7. He thought he would stick around for another half hour and then quit for the evening. In a normal year, he said, the area would be filled with people and would be busy long past midnight. The town has enacted a mandatory mask zone along Commercial Street as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Business closures and safety measures have impacted visitor numbers to Provincetown this summer, usually a period with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Local business people said that many of the visitors this year are "day-trippers" visiting for a short period rather than staying for a week or the whole season as would happen in a normal year. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS - JUL. 22, 2020. An electronic sign reading "Keep PTown Safe" stands along the Route 6 outside Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Wed., July 22, 2020. The sign also displays the messages "Wear A Face Mask" and "Practice Social Distancing" as part of efforts to stop viral spread during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Provincetown has created a mandatory mask zone in the main downtown area, as well. 

CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
All content © 2005-2024 M. Scott Brauer