Statement from the A.R.T./New York Executive Committee
July 17, 2020

Hello everyone,

On Monday, The City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations held a hearing on the impact of COVID-19 on the field. 

DCLA Hearing Postponed to Monday, 6/22

June 8th Member Town Hall Postponed

A.R.T./New York is joining the music industry, our sister theatre service organizations including Theatre Communications Group, Theatre Bay Area, and our member theatres, in support of #BlackOutTuesday and #TheShowMustBePaused. We will be pausing our operations, and I am urging my staff to take this time to heal, reflect, and think about how we can envision A.R.T./New York's own work to fight racism and ensure that New York City's nonprofit theatre community is more just, inclusive, diverse, and accessible to all.

As I promised in my May 31st letter to you, thanks to Robert Raben and our Diversifying Our Organizations (DOO) team at the Raben Group, I have reached out to Black clinicians who have experience as therapists, researchers, and community healers. I have sought their advice and support as we seek to facilitate spaces for A.R.T./New York's staff and, hopefully, our members, where we can unpack trauma and move towards healing. This is complex work and it may take some time to organize, but I am committed to doing this for my staff and for our field.

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.