CINCINNATI — For Derek Snow, the stage has always been a place of clarity. 

"I was in a really bad neighborhood coming up where the black men were not supportive of the arts. When I got on stage, all of that kind of stuff just melted away," Snow, an actor, director and writer, said. 

Snow, who has been a staple in Cincinnati's theater community for over 30 years, is preparing to direct his latest production, "Blerds," which will be staged at Know Theatre in April. But the pandemic forced a change he never expected.

"Several shows that I had been assigned to direct out of town called and told me they were canceled," Snow recalled. "That was wild in the sense that it removed income immediately."

The performing arts industry in Ohio was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. A study by Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation found the sector was one of the state’s biggest economic drivers, contributing nearly $55 billion in 2019. That figure dropped by more than $8.6 billion in 2020 when the pandemic caused widespread shutdowns.

For Know Theatre, the challenge was quickly adapting.

“The big challenge was how do we take theater, which the priority is on that connection between the audience and the performers, on stage?” said Bridget Leak, the producing artistic director at Know Theatre.

Despite a drop in audience engagement in the wake of the pandemic, Leak noted that Know Theatre saw its second-best-selling show ever over the holiday season last year.

“For us, that is really inspiring to be like, okay, audiences are ready. Let's give them the shows they want to see,” Leak added.

Recent data from Creative Ohio’s economic report shows that the state’s creative sector contributed $32 billion to Ohio’s economy in 2023. Ohio ranked 11th in the U.S. for the economic impact of its arts and culture industries.

For Snow, the pandemic highlighted the resilience of the arts community. He found a new focus, shifting from performing to writing.

"I started to pick up a pen and actually write a little bit instead of worrying about being on stage," Snow said. "So that pivot was gradual, but welcomed."

Snow believes that no matter what challenges the industry faces, the creative process cannot be stopped.

“The pandemic was a perfect example of seeing a situation, realizing that it’s not going to be normal, whatever normal is, and finding a way to like, adjust and kick that door down,” he said.