Your support helps our Creative Community

the neWsLetteR OF the ACtORs FunD
FALL 2014 Issue: VOLuMe 17, nuMBeR 2
Your support helps our
Creative Community
“Your generosity has
made it possible for
The Actors Fund to
help more than 21,000
people across the
country so far this
year—we really
couldn’t do it without
you. From the bottom of
my heart—thank you.”
—Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chairman
In this issue of Marquee, you’ll learn
how your support of The Actors Fund is
helping more and more people in need in
our creative community every year. We
also take a moment to celebrate 10 years
of In the Spotlight—our premiere giving
society of donors (p. 3).
In addition to exciting events and giving
opportunities, you’ll hear stories from
members of our community who, thanks
to your generosity, have received the care
and support of The Actors Fund when
they needed it most. (p.5–6).
Thank you for your commitment to The
Fund. We wish everyone a safe and happy
holiday season and joyous New Year!
Clockwise from left: In the Spotlight member Willard Beckham (right) and guest at the ITS Annual Dinner
in NYC. In the Spotlight members enjoyed dinner with the cast of The Glass Menagerie in NYC. (l-r): ITS
members Slyvia and David Steiner, Steffani Gates, ITS member Liz Whitney, Tony® and Emmy® winner
Cherry Jones, ITS members Michael Thomas and Enid Nemy, Fund CEO Joe Benincasa and ITS member
David A. Terveen. In the Spotlight members Tina and Jeff Bolton with Tony® winner and Fund Chairman
Brian Stokes Mitchell at The Band Wagon reception in NYC. In the Spotlight member Charlotte Rae with
Tony® and Emmy® winner and Artists’ Committee Co-Chair David Hyde Pierce at the Vanya and Sonia
and Masha and Spike post-show reception in Los Angeles. In the Spotlight members James Karen and
Alba Francesca at The Actors Fund’s Tony Awards Party in Los Angeles.
729 S E V E nT H AV E n UE , 1 0 T H FLO O R
nEW Y OR k , n Y 1 0 0 1 9
In thIs Issue
Your Support Helps Our Creative Community...................1
BECOME A PART OF THE LEGACY
Views from Brian Stokes Mitchell .....................................2
Welcome Christopher Bloodworth ....................................2
Your Support Helped AWP in 2013 ...................................2
10 Years In the Spotlight ....................................................3
Viacommunity Day at The Lillian Booth Actors Home ....3
I Heart the Arts ..................................................................3
Special Performances and Events .....................................4
Affordable Housing Update ..............................................5
Looking Ahead’s Young Performers Give Back ................5
The Actors Fund Connects Thousands
of Low-Income Pros with Obamacare ..............................6
Understanding and Support—Addiction and
Recovery Services Helps Hundreds in Crisis....................6
Joining Forces in Los Angeles to Help More
People in the Creative Community ...................................6
hundreds of supporters like Clifton Webb are part of the Fund’s edwin Forrest society.
Clifton Webb’s show business career included more than 20 Broadway shows (including the
American premiere of noel Coward’s Present Laughter), three Academy Award nominations
(Laura, The Razor’s Edge, Sitting Pretty) and an ongoing legacy of giving.
Join actor and “class act” Clifton Webb and hundreds of generous donors whose gifts continue
to help those in need in our creative community by including The Actors Fund in your estate plans
as part of the Edwin Forrest Society.
to learn more, call Jay haddad at 917.281.5928,
email jhaddad@actorsfund.org or visit actorsfund.org/edwinForrest.
2
MARQUEE FALL 2014
volume 17, number 2
VIEWS
from Brian stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Chairman
Dear Friends,
More than 130 years ago, the entertainment community founded
The Actors Fund to help fellow performing arts professionals in
need. This insightful group of leaders saw that there was a hole that
desperately needed to be filled, and they worked together to create
an organization that continues to grow and evolve to help meet the
changing needs of people in the creative community.
Today, The Actors Fund family—my fellow Board of Trustees, our
teams of advisors, dedicated staff, and volunteers, and you, our most
cherished donors—continues to meet this need. Your generous support ensures that The Fund will always be there to help everyone in
our profession who is in need, crisis or transition, from musicians to
grips, writers to actors, carpenters to camera operators.
Staying ahead and adapting in these changing times is vital. In
2013, The Actors Fund helped more people than ever before: 17,319
individuals, a staggering 28% increase in just one year, and almost
46% more than five years ago. As our community gains awareness
that we are here to help them with a wide range of housing, health,
employment and social services, this organization is becoming more
in-demand than ever before, and this need shows no sign of abating.
As always, we thank all of the people and organizations that
provide unique input and support to help us help the community at
large: our Board of Trustees, the entertainment unions, theatre owners, arts organizations, foundations, corporations, and individuals like
you. And we thank our biggest supporter, Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS: without our friends at BC/EFA, we couldn’t help as
many people as we do.
Thank you for your continued support and for being a part of our
Actors Fund family. Visit actorsfund.org to learn more, make a donation and to find out more about the many ways to be a part of this
long-standing tradition of supporting our creative community.
The Actors Fund is a national
human services organization
that helps all professionals
in performing arts and
entertainment. The Fund is a
safety net, providing programs
and services for those who are
in need, crisis or transition.
national headquarters
729 Seventh Avenue
10th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212.221.7300
Fax: 212.764.0238
Central Region
8 South Michigan Avenue
Suite 601
Chicago, IL 60603
312.372.0989
Fax: 312.372.0272
Western Region
5757 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.933.9244
Fax: 323.933.7615
the Al hirschfeld Free
health Clinic
475 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
212.489.1939
The dorothy Ross
Friedman Residence
(formerly The Aurora)
New York, NY
212.489.2020
the Palm View
West Hollywood, CA
323.933.9244
the Lillian Booth
Actors home
Englewood, NJ
201.871.8882
WELCOME
Christopher Bloodworth!
This summer The Actors Fund Work Program (AWP) welcomed its
new National Director, Christopher Bloodworth, to the team. Born
in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Christopher spent his youth singing
at churches and developing his passion for music, ultimately pursuing
a career in social services. After dedicating years to helping seniors,
then disadvantaged young adults (most recently at the Stanley M.
Isaacs Neighborhood Center), he brings his mastery of workforce
development to the entertainment community.
“I spent approximately six and a half years in workforce development,” says Christopher, “so I understand it intuitively—I can say
without a doubt what a particular program or organization can and
must do to beef up programming and ultimately improve outcomes
for multiple key stakeholders—employers, program participants,
funders, and the like.”
Christopher is looking forward to sharing his insights with
people in the performing arts community who come to The Fund
for help in making a career transition or finding fulfilling sideline
work—after all, he’s been through the process of evaluating his
career path himself.
“I needed to find something that brought me closer to my
creative side—something that moved me to action. And then social
work happened. I can say
without pause I am much
happier now than I was in the
for-profit sector, and equally
happy as I am when I engage
my parallel creative passions.
Social service work allows
me to wake in the morning
excited. My goal is to
help the many creative
professionals who use AWP’s services to identify non-industry work
that is as creative and engaging as the art that they deeply love. It
most certainly exists, although it may take some time to identify what
it is, and move into it.”
Christopher is passionate about making AWP’s existing programs
the best they can possibly be and is looking forward to developing
some new initiatives in the pipeline.
Christopher shared more of his background and his plans for
helping even more people in the creative community on our Blog.
Read moRe actorsfund.org/Christopher
Your support helped the Actors Fund Work Program in 2013
Because many performing arts and entertainment jobs are
episodic in nature, there are times when people need to find
supplemental or alternative income to make ends meet—or they
may even decide to make a career change. AWP offers classes,
seminars, groups, tuition assistance and counseling to help the
creative community find work that perfectly suits their interests
and skills. In 2013, there was a 31% increase in people utilizing AWP’s services in just one year. Your support has had a real
impact on helping people in the arts in so many ways last year.
3,378 entertainment professionals participated in
AWP’s employment and training services
the schermerhorn
Brooklyn, NY
718.640.1845
Marquee
212.221.7300 ext. 176
Fax: 212.536.7658
dengelman@actorsfund.org
Actors Fund Programs:
sOCIAL seRVICes
Entertainment Assistance
Program
Mental Health
Addiction and Recovery
HIV/AIDS Initiative
Senior and Disabled Care
Phyllis Newman Women’s
Health Initiative
Financial Wellness
The Dancers’ Resource
HOWL Emergency
Life Project
Conrad Cantzen Shoe Fund
Funerals and Burials
Union/Partner Programs
heALth seRVICes
Artists Health Insurance
Resource Center
Al Hirschfeld Free
Health Clinic
eMPLOYMent
AnD tRAInInG
The Actors Fund Work
Program (AWP)
suPPORtIVe AnD
AFFORDABLe hOusInG
The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
The Dorothy Ross
Friedman Residence
(formerly The Aurora)
The Schermerhorn
The Palm View
For more information on Actors
Fund programs, please call
800.221.7303 or visit our
website at www.actorsfund.org.
1,261 people received one-on-one career counseling
sessions
Photo credits:
Jay Brady Photography,
Joann Coates, Nina Prommer,
Anita & Steve Shevett.
2,998 individuals attended 38 different workshops
and seminars
Design: Holly Wheeler
270 people took advantage of 15 different free classes
922 new jobs reported
Copy: Laura Campbell,
David Engelman,
Karissa Krenz, Rebecca Sauer
3
10 Years In the Spotlight
Since 2004, our In the Spotlight members have played an essential role in making The Fund’s critical programs possible for
more than 17,000 people every year. These very special members of our Premiere Giving Society receive priority access to
House Seats and tickets to our events, as well as invitations to movie screenings and our annual dinner celebration. To learn
more or join, visit actorsfund.org/IntheSpotlight or contact Jay Haddad at 917.281.5928 or jhaddad@actorsfund.org.
In the spotlight
President’s Inner Circle
Bloomberg
The Broadway Channel
Marriott Marquis
David & Anita Massengill
Stanley Newman &
Dr. Brian Rosenthal
Bruce Sherman
United Airlines
Viacom International Inc.
The Neil & Virginia Weiss
Foundation—in memory of
Steven Weiss
Wells Fargo Foundation
In the spotlight Platinum
Bank of America
The Barrington Foundation
CTBC Bank Corp. (USA)
Joyce Gordon
IATSE Local No. 1, Theatrical
Stage Employees
The Honorable Thomas Kean
Martha Nelson
PNC Bank, Commercial Banking
Mimi Prentice
The Louis and Harold Price
Foundation, Inc.
Catherine Rein
Road Concierge, Inc.
TD Bank
The Schloss Family Foundation
Thomas Schumacher
Ulysse Nardin
Mark & Virginia Silver
David A. Terveen
Barbara Whitman & David Carlyon
In the spotlight Gold
Anonymous
Gary Avendano & Beverly Cornel
Clarke & Patricia Bailey
Orson & Alley Bean
Willard Beckham
Bicé & Mark Berry
Jeffrey & Tina Bolton
Cartesian
Robin Charin
Paul & Kelly Cole
Warren & Mitzi Eisenberg
Rick Elice
Feld Entertainment
Margaret & Howard Fluhr
The Fosdick Fund
Barbara L. Goldsmith
Leonard & Jennifer Gruenberg
Jill & Martin Handelsman
Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson
The Irving Harris Foundation
Erika Honda
Mark Hostetter
IATSE Local No. 478
Max Jacobs
Patricia Jehle
Roberta A. Jones
Ann & Robert Kaplan
Robert & Anna Kelly
Martin & Barbara Klein
Laurence F. Klurfeld & Joele Frank
Mr. Christos Kritikos
Angela Lansbury
Grace Lyu-Volckhausen
Sharon & Stewart Menking
C. Jay Moorhead Foundation
Music Theatre International
Don & Sara Nelson
Olympus Theatricals, LLC
Mr. & Mrs. John Osher
David & Faith Pedowitz
Lee H. Perlman &
Linda S. Riefberg
Leon & Catherine Pollack
Harold & Judy Prince
Richard Read
Jorge Ignacio Rosso
Evan Sacks
David Sadroff
Dorothy & Peter Samuels
Debra Samuelson
Carl & Aviva Saphier
Micki Schildkraut
John E. Schumacher
Renata & Jack Schwebel
Bradlee Shattuck
Mr. Robert H. Siegel
Carl & Fay Simons
Howard Stern
The Dorothy Strelsin
Foundation, Inc.
Margaret Styne
Pamela & Allen B. Swerdlick
Thomas A. Teeple
Claude M. Tusk
Carol M. Waaser
Sandra K. Wasserman
Elizabeth Kubota Whitney
Kenneth C. Whitney
George R. Zuber
Donald & Barbara Zucker
In the spotlight silver
The A. L. Levine Family
Foundation
Richard & Iris Abrons
Brian F. Albert & Joe Ahumada
The Shana Alexander Charitable
Foundation
Meridee Alter
Abigail Alvarez
Robert Kuhbach & Sherrell
Andrews
Anonymous (8)
John Anthony
Robert & Veronica Bailin
Alec Baldwin
Harlan Batrus
Nancy & Joseph P. Benincasa
Frank A. Bennack, Jr.
Marc & Randi Berson
Jordan Bittel & Stephen Bittel
Mike Blank
William K. Block
Morton Blum
Irving & Joan Bolotin
Bruce & Liz Boulware
John Bowab
Louise Braver
Stuart Breslow & Anne Miller
The Broadway Association
Lucy Avery Brooke
Andrea Brown & Robert Levande
Valerie Brown
Peter C. Browne—
Price Raffel & Browne
Len & Heather Cariou
John A. Cassese
Mark A. Castellano
Patricia Cayne
Randolph R. Charles
Cathy Chernoff
Tracy Cohen & William Ludel
James H. Coleman
Pat Collins & William Sarnoff
Patricia Collins
Ellen B. Corenswet
Amy C. Corn
I. Michael Coslov
Christopher & Hillary Costin
Creative Artists Agency, Inc.
Ronald & Linda Daitz
Bonnie L. Dale
Christopher D’Anna
Thomas A. D’Auria
Barbara & Tim Davis
Isabel & Robert Davis
Paula Kaminsky Davis
Charles & Patricia Debrovner
Merle Debuskey
Jamie deRoy
R. K. & Jennie DeScherer
Richard & Nancy Dinar
Lilian & Jonathan Donnelly
David & Rachel Eidelman
Janice & Bruce Ellig
Linda A. Ellis
Michael N. Emmerman
& Patricia A. Stockhausen
Alfred & Gail Engelberg
The Engelberg Foundation
David & Judy Epstein
Shirley Estes
Terry A. Fassburg
Gregg & Marla Felton
Dorothy Thorson Foord & Family
Jordan Fox
Alba Francesca & James Karen
Aaron Frankel
Richard J. Gerrig
& Timothy Peterson
Jack & Myra Gibson
Angel Power, Inc.
Laurie & Stephen Girsky
Kim Glazer Goldberg
David & Renee Golush
Erwin G. Gonzalez, M.D.
Robert & Sarah Goodman
Linda & Fred Greenberg
Carol S. Greenwald &
Richard Zuckerman
Kathryn Gurfein
Sherry Lambert Halpern
Eugene Harbin
Nedenia Merrill & Ted Hartley
Mr. & Mrs. William Hench
Elliott Hershberg
Robin P. Hertz &
Raymond A. Bragar
The Andrew & Irma Hilton
Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Hochman
Beth Holland
Sally & Robert Huxley
IATSE Local No. 706, Make Up
Artists & Hairstylists
IATSE Local No. 728
Integrated Wealth Management
The Carl Jacobs Foundation
Lynda & Mitch Jacobs
Margaret Johnston
Thomas & Marilyn Kahn
Jonathan J. Kandel
Richard I. Kandel
The Karma Foundation
Karnak Corporation
Robert & Florence Kaufman
Foundation Inc.
Karen E. Kennedy
Donna Kenton
Robert W. Kilgore
& Edward Richmond
Ethan & Linda Klausner
Elysabeth Kleinhans
Mr. & Mrs. Harvey D. Kohn
Ram Koppaka
Sharon Korman
Dr. Ronald Kosinski
Kranz & Company, LLP
Ronald Krause
Bill Kux
Bill & Sheila Lambert
Frederick A. Landman
Nancy J. Lang
Jane Lebell
Paul & Florence Libin
David & Amy Liebowitz
Neil D. Lipton
Lee Livingston
Lladró
Arthur L. Loeb
Carol & Michael Lowenstein
Michael & Carol Lowenstein
Lisa Malloy
Mr. & Mrs. Milton Maltz
Anita M. Mangels
Kathleen Marsal
Arlene & Neil Martin
Helen Mattin
Terrence & Cynthia McMahon
Judy Frank Mearian
Barbara & Lawrence Mentz
Edward H. Meyer
Felice Michetti
Frances Milberg
Paul Miles
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Florence Mitchell-Brown
Norma & Randy Moore
Franklin Moss
Mary A. Mullin
Margaret Munzer
Rick & Jenny Nelson
Randolph & Rona Nelson
Ruth Nerken
Siobhan Oppenheimer Nicolau
Bruce & Nicole Paisner
Wendy & Jon Paton
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin
& Ira Schuman
Robert & Sula Pearlman
Richard S. Pechter
Barbara Peda
Dominick & Lori Peraglia
Fred Peskoff
Chuck Pfaff, M.D.
Joe Pfifferling
Richard T. Pilchen
Anthony Pirozzi, Jr.
Murray Pitt
PLM Foundation
Robert Podolsky
William & Sue Pollock
Peter & Peggy Pressman
Mark Nelson Preston
Gail Propp
James Rado
Charlotte Rae
David Rambo & Theodore Heyck
Joyce Randolph Charles
Richard E. Rauh
Sandra Reilly
Denice Rein
Kenneth Remsen, M.D.
Edward Richmond &
Robert W. Kilgore
Rosann Rizzuto
Lawrence & Janice Rogak
Carmen V. Romeo
Mr. & Mrs. William A. Roskin
Barbara H. Rudd
Jon Rupp & Bill Hoover
Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Sabinson
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Saltzman
Evelyn Salzberg
Gary B. Samuels
The Mortimer S. & Vera M. Schiff
Foundation
Albert & Jayne Schiff
Karen Schmitt
Nadine Schramm
Abby Schroeder
Jack Schwartzman Family
Foundation
Schwartzapfel Partners
Jerry & Marsha Seslowe
Bernard & Patricia Shaw
Barbara Sherr
Donald Silpe
Joseph A. Sirola
Marilyn Sokol
Tom Spackman & Sarah Williams
Stage Entertainment USA, Inc.
Ted & Vada Stanley
Amy Stavis
Adam & Laurin Steiger
The Honorable
David & Sylvia Steiner
Pavur R. Sundaresan, M.D.
Phyllis N. Sussman
Ronna Sussman
Francie Swift & Brad Blumenfeld
Victor Syrmis, M.D.
Jay Tanenbaum
Jack Tantleff
Karen L. Tanz
Alex Trebek
United Talent Agency
Helen & William Van Syckle
Mrs. Irene Velazquez
Leonard & Barbara Wacksman
Jon Wade
Jessica Waldman
Suzyn Waldman
James Wallick
Carol G. Walter
Mr. & Mrs. John P. White
Terrence J. Witter
Tom Wolff & Tim Collins
Walter Wolpin
Boniface A. Zaino
Herbert & Cynthia Zucker
As of November 13, 2014.
From left: Viacom’s Christina Charlery enjoyed a
day helping and visiting with residents; the entire
Viacommunity team.
Viacommunity Day
at The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
Our neighbors in Times Square took time
this spring to spend time with seniors in our
entertainment community. Employees from
Viacom spent May 16 at The Lillian Booth Actors
Home in Englewood, nJ as part of their global
“Viacommunity Day,” an annual company-wide
day of volunteerism.
Twenty staff members from all corners of
Viacom’s new York City headquarters spent
the day interacting with residents. The halls
of The Home were filled with laughter and
camaraderie as our friends from Viacom helped
residents organize closets, and spent time reading and playing trivia games. The day culminated
with a casino party in the MusiCares Lounge.
Christina Charlery is an executive assistant,
and in her first job since graduating from
American University in 2012, she is already
giving back by participating in Viacommunity Day.
A native of Englewood, nJ, she was thrilled to
sign up to help out along with her mom (who also
works at Viacom—so they made it a family day!).
“It was awesome to volunteer with my mom,”
Christina said. “Giving back to the community
with a person you love is an amazing experience
and I hope to do it again sometime soon.”
The Viacom community also recently
served Thanksgiving dinner to residents of
The Schermerhorn, The Fund’s affordable housing
residence for low income people in entertainment,
formerly homeless people and individuals living
with HIV/AIDS. To learn more about corporate
financial and volunteer support opportunities,
contact Manager of Corporate Relations Jean Lee
at 917.281.5935 or email jlee@actorsfund.org or
visit actorsfund.org/Corporate.
I Heart The Arts
Thanks to our hundreds of donors and
supporters who played along with our I Heart
the Arts social media campaign! Our community
posted photos of themselves with their free
sticker to Facebook and Twitter helping to spread
awareness that we are here to help everyone
in performing arts and entertainment in times
of need. Didn’t receive your free sticker? Visit
actorsfund.org/IHeartTheArts to sign up today!
Thank you to our Corporate Partners
Bank of America
PNC Bank
The New York Times
CTBC Bank
Ulysse Nardin
Road Concierge
Official NYC Hotel
Official Airline
For Corporate Membership and Sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jean Lee at 917.281.5935 or jlee@actorsfund.org or visit actorsfund.org/Corporate.
4
{
actors Fund
}
Special events
PHOTOS | actorsfund.org/photos
VIDEO | youtube.com/actorsfundorg
Special
Performances
and Events
STAY COnnECTED
actorsfund.org/signup
/theactorsfund
@theactorsfund
/actorsfundorg
actorsfund.org/Blog
Board of trustees
Brian stokes Mitchell
Chairman of the Board
Marc Grodman, M.D.
Secretary
Jock Duncan Celebri-tee Golf and tennis Outing
Musical Mondays
Thanks to Golf Chair Peter Gallagher and Tennis Chair Liz Callaway
who joined us on July 21 for the Jock Duncan Celebri-TEE Golf & Tennis
Outing at The Knickerbocker Country Club in Tenafly, NJ to support
The Lillian Booth Actors Home. They were joined by Len Cariou, Matt
Malloy, Constantine Maroulis, Ernie Sabella, Joe Sirola and many other
supporters. After an afternoon of sport, guests were entertained by
Anthony and Will Nunziata before a lovely dinner and raffle hosted by
IATSE Local One. Thank you to our sponsors at Generation Pharmacy
and ken Davenport, and to all who came out in support of The Actors
Fund. See you next July for another great event!
Our Los Angeles supporters enjoyed a very special Musical Monday on
november 17 with Tradition: The Jewish Legacy of Broadway—a celebration
of the great Jewish composers, lyricists and performers who graced the
stages of Broadway from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Special
thanks to producer Michael Childers, director Calvin Remsberg, music
director John McDaniel, Musical Monday producers Martin Wiviott and
John Bowab and performers Hal Linden, Gary Shaw, James Barbour,
Barry Pearl, Brian Childers, Shana Blake Hill, Alix korey, Janene Lovullo,
Peter Marshall, Millicent Martin, Jeffrey Scott Parsons, Freda Payne, nita
Whitaker, nicole Parker, Jake Simpson and Sharon Mcnight for another
beautiful night in the lobby of the historic Pantages Theatre.
The Looking Ahead Awards on December 4
in Los Angeles celebrated leaders in the
former young performer community and
The Actors Fund’s Looking Ahead program.
Created in 2003 in partnership with
SAG-AFTRA, Looking Ahead works with
professional young performers helping them develop the values, skills and
confidence they need to make successful transitions to fulfilling adult lives.
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol on December 15 in nYC
Presenting a one night concert presentation of the holiday classic
Mr. Magoo’s Chirstmas Carol—on stage for the first time and featuring
a wonderful original score by Jule styne and Bob Merrill. Directed by
Carl Andress, Grammy and Emmy winner John McDaniel is music
director and Marcos santana choreographs. Starring erik Altemus,
Jeff Blumenkrantz, John Bolton, Jennifer Cody, Robert Cuccioli,
Joshua henry, Don Darryl Rivera, Matthew scott, tony sheldon,
Christopher sieber, Douglas sills and Betsy Wolfe with additional
casting and creative team to be announced soon.
For tickets visit actorsfund.org/Magoo.
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol is used by permission from Classic
Media, LLC and is being presented through the generosity of
Dreamworks Animation, Margaret Styne, and the estates of
Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, with special thanks to Joseph Weiss.
(l-r): Tamera and Tia Mowry (Education Award), Western Region Director keith
Mcnutt, Judy Swank (Parenting Award), June Lockhart, Margaret O’Brien (Shirley Temple Award), Hilary Swank, Looking Ahead Advisory Committee Co-Chairs
Sharon Lieblein and Fred Savage (Community Service Award) and SAG-AFTRA
Young Performers Committee national Co-Chair Elizabeth McLaughlin. Thanks
to our honorees and sponsors!
Read moRe  actorsfund.org/Lookingaheadawards
Mark your calendar for
these upcoming events!
December 15
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
Benefit Concert, NYC
January 7
The Last Ship
Producer’s Picks, nYC
January 8, 13, 21, 28
You Can’t Take it With You
Producer’s Picks, nYC
special Performances—
Broadway Gives Back!
Standing ovation to these Broadway
companies, who donated their time
and talent at these extra special nights
to raise much-needed funds for those
in need in our community!
Visit actorsfund.org to join
us for the best seats and the
hottest tickets!
January 28
The River
Producer’s Picks, nYC
For tickets:
In new York,
call 212.221.7300 ext. 133
In Los Angeles,
call 323.933.9244 ext. 458
Visit actorsfund.org.
Clockwise from top right: The Lion
King—Gazelle Tour in Washington,
D.C., It’s Only A Play, The Lion King
(Broadway company), Wicked,
The Book of Mormon.
Abby schroeder
Assistant Secretary
steve Kalafer
Treasurer
Mark hostetter
Assistant Treasurer
Philip s. Birsh
Vice Chair
Bebe neuwirth
Vice Chair
Lee h. Perlman
Vice Chair
Philip J. smith
Vice Chair
Joseph P. Benincasa
President and CEO
Alec Baldwin
Annette Bening
Jeffrey Bolton
John Breglio
Ebs Burnough
James J. Claffey, Jr.
Nancy Coyne
Merle Debuskey
Rick Elice
Janice Reals Ellig
Teresa Eyring
Joyce Gordon
Ken Howard
David Henry Hwang
Anita Jaffe
Kate Edelman Johnson
Sharon Karmazin
Michael Kerker
Chris Keyser
Stewart F. Lane
Paul Libin
Matthew Loeb
Kristen Madsen
Kevin McCollum
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Sam Nappi
James L. Nederlander
Martha Nelson
Phyllis Newman
Harold Prince
Roberta Reardon
Charlotte St. Martin
Thomas Schumacher
David Steiner
Jack Tantleff
Edward D. Turen
Tom Viola
Jomarie Ward
Joseph H. Wender
David White
BD Wong
Nick Wyman
5
Thanks to your generous support and the collaboration of many in our community, The Actors Fund is spreading awareness to more and more people who work in performing
arts and entertainment about affordable housing opportunities and how to access them. Fund Manager of Affordable Housing Initiatives Rebecca Sauer offers this update.
AFFORDABLE HOUSInG UPDATE
BY REBECCA SAUER
The Actors Fund’s four housing facilities (see sidebar, p. 2) are complemented by a full
range of programs and services, offering our nearly 600 residents a stable base, help in
managing a crisis or life transition, and the opportunity to enhance and improve their lives
through the supportive services they need to thrive as artists. In addition to our facilities, we
are also working hard to let our community know about and apply for affordable housing
opportunities in Los Angeles and New York.
The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, through a prestigious $75,000
“Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, has retained the services of
The Actors Fund to help artists access affordable units in“80/20” developments in the Arts
District and Downtown Los Angeles. In the spring of 2014, the Partnership focused on two
buildings: the Related Companies’ Parcel M Grand Avenue Apartments, with 55 affordable
units, and McGregor Brown’s One Santa Fe, with 88 affordable units. The Fund created
and manages an informational website for the Partnership (www.affordableartisthousing.org)
and recently designed and conducted 12 information sessions and application workshops,
reaching 835 participants. This partnership will serve as a model for helping artists access
similar units in southern California and nationwide.
CAnDICe, ACtOR
“I’m so thankful because
The Actors Fund let me know
about this affordable building
in Los Angeles—I wouldn’t have
known about it otherwise.”
When Candice first came to
The Fund about seven years ago
for emergency assistance after
giving birth to her daughter in New York, she learned
about The Fund’s numerous other services, signed up
for the email updates, and began regularly visiting the
website to see if there were any new postings about
affordable housing, which she started applying to.
She stayed connected to The Fund when she moved
to LA two years ago, and when she received an email
about apartments available in some new buildings in
Downtown LA, she jumped at the chance to attend one
of the affordable housing seminars.
“For someone who has been through the process
before, it was helpful to hear Rebecca go through the
preparation process,” says Candice, “because I feel like
she had communicated with the management, who had
said, ‘This is what we expect for people coming in for
the interview.’” She began the application process and
was happy The Fund kept her up-to-date along the way:
“The Actors Fund kept in contact with me when things
changed, which I really appreciated.”
Candice and her daughter moved into an affordable
two-bedroom apartment at the end of October. She’s
grateful for the resources The Actors Fund offers the
creative community. “It’s important because I find that
we don’t often have the same resources that employees
of major corporations have,” says Candice, “I think The
Actors Fund fits a need in our community so we know
what resources are available to us.”
The Actors Fund also provides regular seminars in New York City to educate the
performing arts and entertainment community about affordable housing opportunities and
to prepare them to enter the tenant selection processes. So far this year, our Subsidized
Housing seminars have served close to 250 participants. We also help the community
through drop-in Q&A groups and one-on-one technical assistance.
Our social services team also spreads the word about specific buildings that will be
of interest to our community, such as El Barrio Artspace PS 109, an affordable live/work
development for artists in East Harlem, which held a lottery for interested applicants this
summer. We are currently working with the Related Companies to inform the arts and
entertainment community about opportunities to apply to Hunters Point South Crossing
and Hunters Point South Commons, both in the borough of Queens, which will include
925 affordable low-, moderate-, and middle-income apartments.
The Actors Fund provides these seminars under the umbrella of the Affordable Housing
Partnership for Artists, an initiative organized by the City of Los Angeles Department of
Cultural Affairs. The initiative is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
Our Town program.
Here are just a few stories from people in entertainment who have benefitted from
The Actors Fund’s affordable housing and other social services.
DORI, ACtOR AnD PRODuCeR
“I wouldn’t have been able to
get through or understand the
application process if it hadn’t
been for Rebecca’s tutorial.
The specificity that was required
equaled the application process
for disability/social security.
It was that daunting. But through
the whole process I became a dog with a bone—
I wasn’t going to give up.”
Dori is an actor, producer, personal chef and former
resident of The Actors Fund’s Palm View Residence
in West Hollywood, the 40-unit affordable housing
complex the provides homes to low-income people living
with HIV/AIDS. Earlier this year, after seeing an Actors
Fund email about affordable apartments in Downtown
LA’s arts district, he decided to enter the lottery. Armed
with insight gained in an Actors Fund Affordable
Housing Seminar, he completed the application and was
selected.
“It’s not an urban legend that people win these
lotteries. I’ve never won a lottery—I’d love to win the
Powerball or something—but I got this, and this is
just as powerful for a change in life. It’s an amazing
building.”
Thanks to Rebecca—as well as his original Actors
Fund social worker’s suggestion to think of the Palm
View as a stepping stone—Dori’s beginning a new, even
more positive chapter in his life.
“Rebecca didn’t get me in to my new building; she
gave me the tools, the understanding, and lastly—like
other staff —the sign post that said: ‘Go to the left this is
what happens. Go to the right—if you do the work—this
is what will happen.’”
Read moRe  actorsfund.org/dori
hOustOn, ACtOR
“I can’t overemphasize how much
it helped me—the financial support
and all the help from my social
worker.”
This past July, after a serious car
accident, Houston ended up with
two broken ankles, a broken femur, a
broken and dislocated hip, a broken
arm, a dislocated shoulder, smashed teeth and a major
concussion/head injury. After eight hours of surgery and 16
days in the hospital, he was wheelchair-bound and couldn’t
access his second-story apartment. While staying with an
acquaintance, he desperately needed help, and so he called
The Actors Fund.
Houston was paired with social worker Amy Basler
Hammond, who offered him much-needed care and
support. Amy negotiated with his old landlord to pro-rate
and reduce the amount of rent he owed; helped him find
a wheelchair accessible apartment; arranged a grant to
cover his security deposit and part of the first month’s
rent; connected him with the SAG Foundation which gave
Houston a grant toward rent; helped him get a primary
care physician so he could get his state disability benefits
approved; helped him apply for state disability benefits; and
facilitated connection with a California Victims of Crime
advocate.
“Amy was amazing,” says Houston.
After two months in a wheelchair, he’s walking again and
slowly going back to auditioning. “I’m trying to get back.
I can’t run yet or jump or anything like that, so there’s a
limit of things I can do as far as auditions.” But Houston
emphasized that he’s grateful that he had The Actors Fund
to go to for help.
His mother, Mary Ann, added: “Houston’s connection
to your organization and the personal assistance of Amy
provided relief beyond measure. He often refers to Amy
as ‘wonderful’ and I can only echo that and more. For
Houston and myself (a mother many miles away from
Los Angeles in Ohio) words cannot convey my gratitude
and respect for your organization. Your helping hand and
charitable support has reinforced Houston’s recovery
significantly. We offer you our full endorsement and remain
grateful always.”
Looking Ahead’s Young Performers Give Back
The Actors Fund’s Looking Ahead program was created in 2003 in partnership with SAG-AFTRA to work with youth
between the ages of 9 and 18, helping them develop the values, skills and confidence they need to make successful
transitions to fulfilling adult lives. In 2013, more than 600 young performers, alumni and parents utilized the services
of Looking Ahead.
The program promotes core values of growth, leadership and community service and gives young performers and
their parents dozens of opportunities every year to gather together for educational events, leadership opportunities
and community service.
On May 17, Looking Ahead young performers Maya, Tayler, and Dusan volunteered for “Big Sunday” at Beagles
and Buddies ranch, a no-kill shelter in Apple Valley, CA. There were 25 other members who helped bathe and walk
dogs, sew dog beds, paint, landscape, and build dog shelters. Looking Ahead encourages young performers to give
back through organized community service events held each month.
Learn more about this unique program at LookingAheadProgram.org.
6
THE ACTORS FUnD COnnECTS THOUSAnDS OF
EnTERTAInMEnT PROS WITH HEALTH InSURAnCE
The Actors Fund’s key role in helping people in the creative community secure health
insurance was cited in a Deadline.com article by Dave Robb in July. “Obamacare has
been a blockbuster success in the entertainment industry,” Robb writes, “and The
Actors Fund has played a vital role in helping thousands of low-income actors, writers
and other industry professionals obtain low-cost health insurance.”
“Most of the people we’re seeing for health insurance counseling in the creative
community have incomes of $25,000–$50,000,” notes James Brown, national Director
of The Actors Fund’s Health Services. “The cutoff for federal assistance is $46,000 for
subsidies for an individual under Obamacare, so about 85% of the people that we’ve
seen are eligible for a subsidy to pay for their health care premiums,” he added.
Your support is helping people in the performing arts and entertainment
community access the healthcare they need to stay active and creative in their fields.
Below are just a few key numbers. Visit ahirc.org for more on how The Actors Fund is
helping artists across the country to access affordable health insurance.
500
15,000
number of people in the creative community
who signed up for Obamacare as a result.
number of calls to The Actors Fund’s Covered
California helpline since open enrollment for
Obamacare began October 1, 2013. The Actors
Fund works with Covered California to provide
outreach and education to arts and entertainment
professionals in Los Angeles, Alameda, San
Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego counties.
700
number of people in the new York arts and
entertainment industry who have received one-onone counseling from specialists at The Actors Fund’s
Artists Health Insurance Resource Center.
200
13
number of workshops The Actors Fund’s
Artists Health Insurance Resource Center has
held on signing up for Affordable Care since
the summer of 2013.
number of cities The Actors Fund Health Services
team plans to visit in 2015, taking health insurance
workshops on the road. With a grant from the
Hearst Foundations and partnerships with arts
organizations and unions to get the word out about
getting enrolled, cities include Chicago, Miami,
Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Dallas,
Houston, Seattle, Portland, nashville, Albuquerque/
Santa Fe, Cleveland and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
3,000
number of people in performing arts and
entertainment who have attended.
Understanding and Support—Addiction and
Recovery Services Helps Hundreds in Crisis
Entertainment professionals are no strangers to the problems of
substance abuse; it has damaged careers, ruined performances,
destroyed families and brought creative lives to an early end.
The Actors Fund’s team of dedicated social workers in our
Addiction and Recovery Services program provides support
for industry professionals and their family members who
are struggling with addiction. In 2013, 237 people came to
The Fund for help with this difficult life challenge.
Our social workers help these individuals to develop a
plan, get treatment, stay sober and get their lives back on track.
We spoke with two people in the entertainment community
who shared how The Fund helped give them the understanding
and support they needed on their journeys.
“Daniel is a writer…”
“Janice is an actor…”
Daniel is a writer from Los Angeles who was forced
to confront a serious drinking problem after he was
asked to take a leave-of-absence from his day job. One
of the stipulations of the leave was that he would get
help, and in order to do that, a friend referred him to
The Actors Fund.
His social worker connected him with an
outpatient treatment center which was paid for by
The Fund. Throughout the course of his treatment,
he was thankful he could turn to his social worker for
help and support. As he was unable to work and had
no income, The Fund also arranged to help with his
rent.
“There was something so comforting about the
stability of the one-on-one relationship with my Actors
Fund social worker while I was going through a very
intense process at the outpatient program.”
Daniel is now fully in recovery and says he’s
focused on creating a solid, sober foundation for his
whole life. Back at work, he still checks in with his
Actors Fund social worker on a regular basis.
By the time Janice was referred to The Actors Fund
by a friend and fellow actor, she had spent years
addicted to drugs and alcohol. “I’m very lucky to be
alive,” she says.
Janice met with her Actors Fund social worker
who helped her find a rehab facility. After three
months at the facility, she came home and continued
to meet with her social worker weekly, who connected
Janice with an outpatient program, was in constant
contact with her therapist, and even met with Janice’s
family to offer support and guidance.
In the course of working with Janice she told the
social worker her son was involved with drugs and his
life was out of control. Our social worker worked with
her to help her son get to treatment and then to a
half-way house. He is now three years clean and sober
and in college working on a degree.
Janice emphasizes how The Fund supported her
through the recovery process. “I needed somebody—I
couldn’t figure anything out for myself. I needed truth
and honesty and somebody I could trust giving me
that to take the steps needed to recover. And that’s
what The Actors Fund provided me with. The Actors
Fund stayed by me the whole time.”
Joining Forces in
Los Angeles to Help More
People in the Entertainment
In January, the Entertainment Industry
Referral and Assistance Center (EIRAC) in
Los Angeles will be integrated into the services
of The Actors Fund. EIRAC was established in
1984 by executives and union officials of the
entertainment industry to serve as an umbrella
employee assistance program to help all
members of the entertainment industry and
their dependents.
EIRAC provides a wide range of help for
people with mental health concerns, chemical
dependency issues, compulsive disorders, eating
disorders, post-traumatic stress, family conflict,
work related stress, and depression and anxiety.
This new partnership will allow The
Actors Fund to build on its success in new
York as the “Employee/Member Assistance
Program” provider for institutions such as the
Metropolitan Opera, Jujamcyn Theatres, Local 1
IATSE as well as IATSE Locals 802, 306, 764 and
798. EIRAC currently serves the employees of
nBC/Universal and has a distinguished history
working with other Hollywood institutions such
as Paramount Studios, the Motion Picture
Insurance Fund and the Directors Guild of
America.
The program will occupy a beautiful new
office suite in Local 80 IATSE’s building in
Burbank, expanding our capacity to improve
and increase our services to the entertainment
community in southern California.