This #GivingTuesday, Help Guarantee Theatre Access for All!
In an interview with TheaterMania, playwright Mansa Ra (fka Jiréh Breon Holder) referred to those who have returned to the theatre in 2021 as “artistic first responders.” We found that phrase incredibly impactful and resonant.
Over the last two years, we have celebrated our first responders, our nurses and doctors, grocery store employees, and sanitation workers who have kept us safe and healthy during the pandemic. But today, I want to take a moment to celebrate you all as a different kind of first responders – artistic first responders. With the closure of performance spaces all across the globe, the cancelling of seasons, and record unemployment among theater artists, COVID-19 dealt theatre a devastating blow. It is only through the support of those who have shown up to the theatre, watched a live streaming theatre piece online, made a donation to the arts of whatever size — it is only through the support of these artistic first responders that theatre is still alive and kicking.
And alive and kicking we are. The need has never been greater to foster theatre and theatre artists, which is why we have expanded, not reduced, our theatre programming and doubled down on our commitment to support new works, uplift historically marginalized voices, and create theater that is accessible and accountable to our community. This year, we expanded to another major US city with PlayGround-NY, extending our community of storytellers and audiences across the country. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, we’ve resumed in-person performances of our signature Monday Night PlayGround series, all while continuing to offer live streamed performances in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, which audiences can watch from anywhere. We’re currently presenting our Innovators Showcase, uplifting the voices of independent artists, particularly artists from historically excluded communities. And we remain committed to radical accessibility, offering 100% of our programming admission-free!
But we can’t do it without your help. Now is a pivotal moment for the arts and for artists, who are continuing to feel the lasting effects of the pandemic. To ensure that we can continue fostering and funding new voices, creating impactful art, and maintaining accessible pricing and streaming options for everyone, please consider making a contribution this holiday season in support of PlayGround and our year-end campaign. For as little as $5 (the price of two bottles of Two-Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s), you can be an integral part of supporting hundreds of playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and support personnel in the development of dozens of short and full-length plays, plays that tell stories of our community, that mark the difficult time we are all going through, and pave a way to a brighter tomorrow.
You can donate online at https://playground-sf.org/contribute, by phone at (415) 992-6677, or by mail to: PlayGround, 3286 Adeline St #8, Berkeley, CA 94703-2485. You can also donate via Facebook at PlayGround’s Facebook page, https://facebook.com/playgroundsf, via Zelle (info@playground-sf.org) or Venmo (@playgroundsf; if asked for the last 4 digits of the phone number, enter “8541”).
Thank you for your generosity and continued support!
On behalf of the entire PlayGround community,
Jim Kleinmann, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Annie Stuart, Associate Artistic Director
Liam Vincent, Director of Growth
Norman Gee, Associate Producer
Jed Parsario, Associate Producer
Stephanie Prentice, Associate Producer
Katja Rivera. Associate Producer
P.S. This #GivingTuesday, give back to the PlayGround community with your tax-deductible gift!