Dear Actors Fund Friends,

Young and upcoming members of the performing arts community, much like everyone else, are not having the summers they expected—especially in regards to opportunities to learn and grow with their craft. However, that doesn’t mean we still can’t celebrate their accomplishments and futures in the entertainment industry! And Vanguard Theater Company is doing just that, with an online cabaret featuring their Broadway Buddy mentorship program. This event also benefits our COVID-19 programs and services, helping performing arts professionals in need due to the pandemic. These young performers have virtually connected with their mentors for unforgettable duets that you won’t want to miss!

We also continue to care for the seniors in our community with wellness calls, grocery deliveries and online opportunities to socialize and safely connect with one another. For example, we invite you to explore the Performing Arts Legacy Project, where older members of the performing arts and entertainment industry can create profiles and accounts of their lives in the arts for everyone to enjoy and remember.

And of course, our online workshops, groups and seminars continue each month free of charge, to provide support and tools pertaining to career shifts, health and health insurance, housing, financial wellness and more. If you or someone you know could use some guidance, visit actorsfund.org/workshops and actorsfund.org/gethelp for more information.

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. And as another month begins, we’re reminded again of how grateful we are to all of you for your dedication and commitment to The Actors Fund and our performing arts community.

The Understudy
Friday, August 7, 7 pm ET

PlayReadingFridays.com

Join Lesli Margherita (Matilda; Dames At Sea), Andrew Kober (Hair; School of Rock) and Grammy Award nominee Jawan M. Jackson (Ain’t Too Proud) as they star in Theresa Rebeck's comedy The Understudy for Play Reading Fridays.

And make sure to stay tuned at the end of the show for a Q&A with the cast, director and Peabody Award winning playwright, Ms. Rebeck.

Vanguard Theater Company’s Broadway Buddy Mentorship Cabaret
Thursday, August 13, 8 pm ET

BroadwayHD

Vanguard Theater Company’s Broadway Buddy Mentorship Cabaret will air on BroadwayHD, the premiere streaming service for theater fans, as a benefit for The Actors Fund. The show will feature an introduction by composer, actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.

As part of the company’s mission to create a safe space for artists on pre-professional tracks who need mentoring and support, Vanguard created the Broadway Buddy Mentorship Program. The program is designed to pair up-and-coming young artists, hailing from all across Essex County, NJ, with established Broadway professionals. The Cabaret performance is the closing act to a rigorous, three-month-long mentorship experience.

The concert will feature student mentees performing virtual duets with acting mentors hailing from Broadway shows such as Frozen, Hamilton, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, Ain’t Too Proud, Waitress, The Lion King, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Aladdin and more. Performers include Ciara Renée, Robert Creighton, Rachel Zatcoff, Tamar Greene, Kimberly Marable, Jewelle Blackman and Jelani Remy with special guest appearances by Betty Buckley, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Loren Lott, Michael James Leslie and Gabrielle Ruiz.

More Online Events:
Stars in the House: Mondays-Saturdays at 8 pm ET
Artists In Residence: On sale now