An emergency fund for members of The Actors Fund has been launched with an investment of $500,000.
The Curtain Up Fund supports theater workers affected by the theater closures. In addition to the initial investment, Actors Equity will match another $250,000 of contributions.
"Now is the time for Congress and local governments to put workers first to ensure that everyone who works in the arts and entertainment sector has access to emergency paid leave, health care and unemployment benefits. Payroll tax cuts won’t help those whose theaters are now dark. For every middle-class actor you see onstage, there are dozens more working behind the scenes and in an administrative capacity."
Actors' Equity Association, founded in 1913, represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers nationwide. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks.