Audrey and Fabrizio. New York City, USA 

Audrey and Fabrizio on the fire escape of their second-floor apartment in Chinatown, New York.

“We have been in self-imposed quarantine since March 16, ahead of the State of NY “stay at home” measures imposed on March 20.” Audrey is French. She is a self-employed stage designer for theater and opera. Two musicals she worked on were set to open in late March.

At the onset of the pandemic outbreak all of Audrey’s stage projects in the US and Europe were either canceled or postponed.  All air travel was banned just days before her planned trip to Paris.  Fabrizio is an Italian and American dual citizen. He is a creative director in book publishing. His company closed its headquarters in New York on March 16, mandating work from home. 

“The quarantine was gradual, over the course of several days, as the news from Europe and NY became more alarming. Every day we added more restrictive measures. We now leave the house only to shop for groceries every few days.  Our French and Italian families and friends have been a constant point of contact for us, via chat and video. This new home-bound life heightened our desire to stay in touch with people. The most tangible change is our relation with space-time, with a strong desire to stay focused and efficient while all our priorities have slipped and our “future life” is suspended. We are waiting for Godot and cooking far too much”.