Dear Actors Fund Friends,

In these first few days of fall, it can feel hard to celebrate the changing of the seasons as we continue to experience so much loss. But it’s important to honor those who dedicated their lives to advocating for others, and in doing so, we remember these words Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg shared in 2017: “That's what I think a meaningful life is. One lives not just for one's self but for one's community.”

There are many things we can each do to make a difference in our own lives—and the lives of others.

You can fill out the 2020 Census. The deadline is September 30, so you have one week left to answer questions that are completely confidential and will impact the next 10 years of your life.

You can register to vote—and then vote. If you are 18-years-old and older, make sure you’re registered to vote. Then check your state’s laws on how to safely and securely vote, and make a voting plan; many states have added and expanded mail-in ballot voting options and early voting to help people stay healthy.

You can shop via Amazon Smile. If you shop on Amazon, you can simply go to Smile.Amazon.com, select The Actors Fund as your charity of choice, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases—with no fees or extra cost to you.

Connect your friends with The Actors Fund. If you know anyone in the entertainment industry who is in need of assistance or guidance, please let them know The Actors Fund can help all professions in the performing arts. Our workshops, groups and seminars remain free and online, and we have health insurance specialists via our Artists Health Insurance Resource Center and Entertainment Health Insurance Solutions for California residents.

We know our work to support one another has a long road laid out in front of us; but by each doing our part, we can build a solid path to help us make progress one step at a time. Thank you for joining us on the journey ahead.

Let Us Entertain You
Wednesday, September 23, 7 pm ET

Playbill.com

Brave Hearts for Broadway and The Actors Fund present Let Us Entertain You, a very special event that will bring together a performance from frontline and essential workers to support The Fund as they give back to the theater industry and celebrate the performing arts.

Michael E. Merritt, a registered nurse, playwright and producer, united over 120 people from 11 different countries to support and uplift theater professionals across the globe. Joining them are Shoshana Bean, Annette Bening, Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, Bebe Neuwirth, Bernadette Peters, Conrad Ricamora, Chita Rivera, Lea Salonga, Stephen Schwartz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Allyson Tucker, and many more, with special performances by Billy Porter, Megan Hilty and Brian Gallagher, and Lorna Luft and original music by Matt Cusson, Terron Brooks, Elisa Nicolas and Andrew David Sotomayor.

Next Fall
Friday, September 25, 7 pm ET

Play Reading Fridays YouTube Channel

Javier Muñoz (Hamilton), Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Dear Evan Hansen), Erin Leddy, Brandon Contreras (Almost Famous), Christopher McIntyre (Succession) and Rob Carroll will star in Play Reading Fridays’ production of Geoffrey Nauffts’ Next Fall, which focuses on the five-year relationship between Adam and Luke. This timely and compelling American play examines questions of faith in a modern romance.

Broadway & The Bard
Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 pm ET

The Actors Fund YouTube Channel

Tony Award-winning and universally acclaimed stage and screen veteran Len Cariou gives full voice to an idea that he has harbored since his first prophetic Broadway season of Henry V and Applause. Combining his two great loves—Shakespeare and American Musical Comedy—into one rich and diverse tapestry, he has outfitted trenchant classical soliloquies and sonnets with inventive musical pairings from beloved writers of the Great White Way. The result: an eighty-minute melding of superb soliloquy and memorable song by a one-of-a-kind master actor of exquisite vintage in what the Bard might refer to as “a most rare vision.”

Town & Country: Design Unites Auction

CharityBuzz

We’re so excited to join our friends at Town & Country to bring a touch of Broadway to your home! Head to Charitybuzz and get bidding on one-of a-kind-items and experiences you won’t find anywhere else. Have virtual cocktails with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! star Patrick Vaill or enjoy an online acoustic concert with Jagged Little Pill star Kathryn Gallagher. You can also bid on a number of autographed items that you won’t find anywhere else!

And it all benefits our programs and services helping those in the performing arts in need. More lots will be added soon, so check back often!

More Online Events:
Stars in the House: Mondays-Saturdays at 8 pm ET
Omaze: Don’t miss your chance to meet Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!