I give you these very personal words, followed by our Statement of Solidarity and Support. I am deeply grateful to our Director of Programs, Corinne Woods, who has created A.R.T./New York’s Statement of Solidarity.

Letter from Ginny

The violence against Black men, women, and children these past few weeks only illuminates the thousands of incidents that came before them. The dam is bursting, and I cannot help but think about the Black people in our community who are in pain and mourning, and of the white supremacy built into our institutions of power that have created this moment.

During the past few months, our team at A.R.T./New York has drawn strength from the love and support that our members, staff, patrons, and board members provide for one another. We are so grateful for the community that we have, and our hearts break when we learn that one of our friends is no longer with us.

You may have seen that Jerry Stiller—comedy legend and star of stage and screen—recently passed away. Over the Memorial Day weekend, our Executive Director found a quiet moment to remember her friend and supporter, and we would like to share with you her reflection on a man whose contribution to non-profit theatre expanded well beyond his efforts as an A.R.T./New York Board Member.  

Dear Members,

We have several important updates, including updated guidance on the PPP forgiveness application as well as a federal call to action to improve relief programs for the performing arts sector. Finally, we would also like to remind A.R.T./New York Members of our upcoming Town Hall on June 8, which will be a time for our members to share thoughts about the state of the field. 

Though the exact timeline may not yet be clear, one thing is certain—live theatre will return to New York's stages. When it does, our industry will need to adjust to a new normal and ensure that artists and audience members feel comfortable gathering again in our physical spaces. While some commercial producers have begun to talk about the process of reopening, we know that the Off and Off-Off Broadway community will have a unique set of circumstances to consider. Beyond governmental regulations around group gathering, we also need to consider working conditions and producing models that are specific to NYC's robust nonprofit theatrical sector. To that end, A.R.T./New York is convening a Working Group to begin planning for the future. Please let us know if you would like to be a part of an ongoing group to discuss how we can best go about reopening our venues and inviting our audiences—whenever that day arrives. 

WHAT: Weekly working sessions, and potentially sub-committee meetings, to discuss and plan for reopening after the COVID-19 crisis. 

Dear A.R.T./New York Community,

The next round of survey requests are here for our community! I know many of you felt “survey-ed out” a few weeks ago, but we now have new requests for cultural organizations to complete two surveys to help in advocacy efforts to support and advocate for our field. Please do take a moment to complete the two surveys below—there may be some overlapping questions and information requested, but both are important.

We’ve heard from some members that you are running into issues applying for the SBA Payroll Protection Program Loans through your bank (these are the forgivable loans that were instituted through the CARES Act).

If you are looking to apply for the PPP loan, we have spoken with Dime Community Bank, and they are accepting applications through a simple application process. Dime Community Bank is happy to receive applications from A.R.T./New York members, regardless of whether they are currently customers of Dime. We highly recommend you get your PPP loan in asap—you might even be able to complete it tonight! 

Dear Members,

I want to thank all of you who joined us for our Town Hall on Friday, the 27th. After 2 weeks of working from home and social distancing, seeing so many of your faces and hearing your voices was truly inspiring! Read the notes from the Town Hall »

Dear Members,

Thank you all for joining us on Friday for the Town Hall. In this moment when we cannot create or produce our work, your compassion, positive energy, and willingness to share resources continues to inspire us. Seeing your faces was so wonderful! We'll be sharing out the notes and takeaways from the Town Hall tomorrow, but I wanted to share with you some information about the SBA loan program with you asap.

Dear Members,

The news about the COVID-19 virus is truly sobering, as the number of cases rises at an exponential rate. The number of reported cases in NYC is nearing 4,000 as of 10:00am, March 20. 

Dear Members,

This weekend saw more shifts in the city and state’s responses to the Coronavirus outbreak. We want to continue to reach out as we have updates on the rapidly changing situation.

Dear A.R.T./New York Members,

The Mayor’s Press Conference yesterday marked a turning point in this crisis as he told us he expects 1,000 cases next week and that we will be dealing with this virus for 6 months.

Dear Members,

I hear loud and clear that you want the Mayor to shut down all of the theatres, and you want EMERGENCY RELIEF, so please fill out this 1 QUESTION SURVEY. 

UPDATE: This Advocacy Alert has been updated at 3:00pm on March 12, 2020.

Dear Members,

Dear Members,

We are all concerned about the spread of the Coronavirus and the impact it will have on our industry, the financial markets, and the economies of New York City and beyond.

Gallery Three at South Oxford Space
March 5 - May 22, 2020 

All illustrations by Sara Harvey.

The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York) is pleased to present SIGHT LINES, an exhibit of drawings of New York City street life by Brooklyn based artist Sara Harvey. 

Dear Members,

With news of the Coronavirus on the news and on social media, I am writing to encourage that we come together to remain calm, alert, and informed.

As Cohort 4 of Diversifying Our Organizations (DOO) comes to an end, and as we attempt to draft A.R.T./New York’s Diversity Plan, I have been thinking about the challenges I have personally experienced through the program.  

I originally conceived of Diversifying Our Organizations in response to the NYC Cultural Plan, which urged us to diversify our staff and board. In my early conversations with our consultants in this work, the Raben Group’s Alicin Williamson and Whitney Tome explained that before a company can successfully welcome and work with board members of color they need to demonstrate cultural readiness. In other words, we would have to get our own houses in order before we reach out to board members or staff of color. When A.R.T./New York applied for and received a generous 3-year grant from the Scherman Foundation’s Katherine S. and Axel G. Rosin Fund, l knew we were undertaking a big challenge. But I had no idea just how much I would learn about myself and my implicit and explicit biases. I participated in Cohort 1 along with a board member, where I enjoyed the cohort learning process. Our final assignment was to develop a Diversity Plan, which we were encouraged to do with our staff and, ideally, a board member. Looking back, I see how incredibly naïve I was to think that the staff would rubber-stamp my draft Plan.

Aunt Mae Comes to Town presented by Fitz&Startz Productions, a recipient of the 2019 Creative Opportunity Fund.

thRoUgH diFfeRenT LeNSeS performed by viBe Leadership Institute 2019 in the Great Room at South Oxford Space.