THE nEwSLETTER oF THE ACToRS FunD SuMMER 2014

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ACTORS FUND
summer 2014 ISSUE: VOLUME 17, NUMBER 1
Celebrating
Milestones
of Service and Support
In this issue of Marquee, we celebrate four very
special people who keep The Actors Fund responding
to those most in need in our creative community. CEO
Joe Benincasa—whose leadership and vision enabled
The Fund to evolve to help more than 17,000 people
last year (p. 2); and three women with 75 years of
combined service to The Fund in philanthropy,
administration and social services (p. 3).
We also pay tribute to our friends at Disney
Theatrical Productions in celebrating their incredible
20 years on Broadway and more than $3 million in
support for The Actors Fund (p. 4).
Finally, we highlight the expansion of our programs
and services during the 25 years of visionary leadership of our CEO by hearing from a few of our celebrity
leaders who share their passion for our mission, and
from members of our creative community who share
first-hand the care they received when they needed it
most (pgs. 5-6).
Thank you for your support which keeps the arts alive
by helping those most in need in entertainment and
performing arts!
729 S eve nth Aven ue , 10 th F l o o r
Ne w Y or k , N Y 1 0 0 1 9
In this issue
Celebrating Milestones of Service
and Support.......................................................1
Views from Joseph P. Benincasa.......................2
25 Years of Service to the Creative
Community.........................................................2
The Heart and Soul of The Fund.......................3
Disney Celebrates 20 Years on Broadway..........4
18th Annual Tony Awards® Viewing Party.........4
Special Performances and Events.....................4
Real Stories, Real Lives................................5 – 6
BECOME A PART OF THE LEGACY
Jock and Joan give back through a Charitable Gift Annuity
“The Actors Fund is the finest philanthropic organization that I was
fortunate to become associated with at the end of my personal business
career. I have seen the wonderful growth of The Fund over many years,
and Joan and I wish it continued success for years to come.”
Jock and Joan give back to help those in need in our creative community by
including The Fund in their 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/PlannedGiving.
Photo:
Trustee Emeritus
Jock Duncan and
his wife Joan at
The Actors Fund’s
annual Jock Duncan
Celebri-TEE Golf
and Tennis Outing.
2
MARQUEE Summer 2014
volume 17, number 1
VIEWS
Joseph P. Benincasa
President & CEO
The Actors Fund
from Joseph P. Benincasa
Dear Actor—
Dear Supporter—
You are on stage or in front of the camera, backstage or front
of house, in an office or at home someplace on this planet,
creating that story, character, set or agreement. What you are
doing is enriching how we see one another and understand
our place in the world.
Your success may not be readily visible. It’s built on individual talent melded into collective enterprise. It’s inspired
and inspiring, and not usually easy or financially rewarding.
It is important.
The Actors Fund understands you. Please remember that
we can help during hard times, in times of transition, at the
beginning of your journey and as you envision this life’s end.
We are constantly changing as the community you serve
evolves. Thank you for accepting the call to play the many
roles you do, and remember that your “Actors Fund for
Everyone in Entertainment” is here to assist you.
Actors, stagehands, writers, producers, theatre and studio owners—everyone who creates entertainment and the art behind it—engage our imaginations and enrich our lives. They create films and theater that speaks
to our souls, music that lifts our spirits, dance that transcends our own
physical limitations. Some use their celebrity to promote important causes,
others use their technical and broadcasting skills to ensure that we have
up-to-the-minute information and news when we need it.
These people who dedicate their careers to enriching our lives in good
times and in bad often need the help provided by The Actors Fund. You
know this and I believe you support The Actors Fund for this reason.
Most people in the creative community will never attain the kind of
fame which gets headline recognition for great artistic achievement. But
the vast majority will be part of a team that does, and I know that they
are profoundly proud of their personal contributions to collaborative
successes. They appreciate your support and The Actors Fund thanks you.
To All—
Thank you for making the world a better place and for supporting
The Actors Fund. It’s a great honor to serve and our achievements—
all collaborative efforts—make me very proud.
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
Celebrating
The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
Englewood, NJ
201.871.8882
The Schermerhorn
Brooklyn, NY
718.640.1845
25 Years of Service to the
Marquee
212.221.7300 ext. 176
Fax: 212.536.7658
dengelman@actorsfund.org
Creative Community
Actors Fund Programs:
By Barbara Davis, Actors Fund Chief Operating Officer
It was 25 years ago that Joe Benincasa
came to The Actors Fund as a fundraising
consultant and was quickly hired as the
Director of Development. Because of
his tireless enthusiasm, commitment and
vision, he was promoted to Executive
Director one year later. At that time, The
Fund was in financial crisis, so Joe got
down to work. He sought guidance from
trustees like Bernie Jacobs and Deane
Johnson and brought in top volunteers
from the National Executive Service Corps.
He entrusted his professional staff to steer
the financial assistance and social services
programs. Joe encouraged transparency
and took responsibility for making the
tough decisions. He led The Fund to a
place of stability and growth.
By building bridges between
organizations, Joe created individual and
organizational friendships that have
benefited The Fund and the entire
community in countless ways. Upon
becoming Executive Director, Joe joined
the Board of our sister organization, Career
Transition for Dancers, to support their
growth and help The Fund better serve
dancers. He joined the Board of the
Actors Work Program to help guide them
to stability, and eventually integrated them
into The Actors Fund. Because of this
expansion, The Actors Fund Work Program
now helps thousands of performing arts
professionals every year.
As our community was being devastated
by the AIDS crisis, Joe knew The Fund had
to step up and deepen its commitment to
our colleagues living with HIV/AIDS. With
the help of then Actors’ Equity President
Colleen Dewhurst, Joe brought The Fund
together with what eventually became
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/
EFA). Working together, The Actors Fund
and BC/EFA have harnessed the energy,
devotion and love of the Broadway community and continue to care for our colleagues
in need. With Tom Viola’s compassionate
leadership of BC/EFA, The Actors Fund
has been able to provide millions of dollars
in financial assistance to those facing the
challenges of living with HIV/AIDS.
Joe recognized that many of our clients
were living in sub-standard, challenging
apartments, making it more difficult to get
the care they needed. By identifying the
right partners and funding sources,
The Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence
(formerly The Aurora) in Manhattan and
Palm View residence in West Hollywood
were developed, allowing hundreds of
our clients to live in safe, affordable and
accessible housing with support, care and
respect.
Joe continued to push the organization
to take risks, think big and come up
with new ways to serve the creative
community. As a result, we now have the
Artists Health Insurance Resource Center,
The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic,
The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health
Initiative, The Dancers’ Resource, Howl
Helps!, the Financial Wellness Program,
The Schermerhorn residence
in Downtown Brooklyn and more.
With Joe’s guidance, The Fund
continues to improve and expand its crown
jewel—The Lillian Booth Actors Home.
Joe matched donor interest and organizational capacity. He passionately supported
our core services, even when they weren’t
popular with funders. He listened to his
staff and trusted our judgment. Today,
The Schermerhorn in Downtown Brooklyn is
one of three affordable and supportive residences
for people in entertainment developed under
Joe’s leadership over the past 25 years.
The Lillian Booth Actors Home is an
award winning facility and one of the most
respected residences in the country.
Twenty-five years at The Actors Fund
is an incredible milestone. It seems
completely correct that The American
Theatre Wing chose to bestow a special
Tony Award® to Joe this year. Joe exhibits
the same enthusiasm, passion and devotion
to the creative community today that he
did on his first day. When asked why he has
stayed this long, Joe answers “The Actors
Fund fulfills my desire to do good, to work
with people I love and admire, and to make
a real difference in the lives of those who
define our culture and express our dreams.”
Personally, I will never forget working
on our first strategic plan when Joe had us
watch a clip from the 1986 classic sports
film Hoosiers. “Five players on the floor,
function as one unit—team, team, team!”
I know I speak for everyone on The Actors
Fund team when I say THANK YOU
JOE, for being the best coach, our biggest
cheerleader and The Actors Fund’s
greatest fan.
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.
Photo credits:
Desert Raven Photography,
Jay Brady Photography,
Joann Coates, Heidi Gutman,
Michael McIlwee,
Anita & Steve Shevett
Design: Holly Wheeler
Copy: Joseph P. Benincasa,
Barbara Davis,
David Engelman,
Karissa Krenz, Susan Latham
programs & services
3
Heart and Soul—
Judy Fish, Roz Gilbert and Gloria Jones
Meet three very special women who are each celebrating 25 years with The Actors Fund. Whether it’s raising
funds, supporting the social workers who are the backbone of our services or caring directly for people in need
in entertainment, these ladies are a vital part of the heart and soul of The Fund.
25 Years of Fundraising—
Membership Manager Judy Fish
Judy’s perfect combination
of a warm smile and New
York chutzpah helps keep our
donors coming back year after
year. But believe it or not, she
started off as a shy girl from
Brooklyn. Unsure of the
direction she wanted to take,
she attended business school. She immediately landed a job at
the United Way where working the switchboard quickly drew
out her inner extrovert.
Over 18 years, Judy worked her way up to managing their
speakers and tours programs and acting as a production assistant
on United Way films and NFL TV spots. Eventually she was
wooed away by a certain former United Way colleague who was
leading the fundraising charge for The Actors Fund. “Joe was
always very energetic and positive, as he still is,” Judy says of
CEO Joe Benincasa. And she should know—the two have been
colleagues over the past 35 years.
Judy is in awe of The Fund’s evolution over the past decades.
“I’m proud that we keep on meeting the changing needs of
people in entertainment. It was the AIDS crisis in the 80s and
90s, then women’s health. Now it’s health insurance, financial
wellness and the growing senior population in our creative
community,” she adds, emphasizing that “we’re there for them”
with more programs and services than ever.
Having joined The Fund in the midst of the AIDS crisis,
Judy and her colleagues at the time bore witness to a community
facing catastrophic loss. “That really changed my life significantly,” she says. “I became really good friends with many of
our clients, and was privileged to be with them on their journey,
including being with many of them when they died. It’s why
today I try to choose a joyous attitude.”
Celebrity support for The Fund has always been strong,
and Judy has observed many of the “greats” in action, doing
their part to help those in need. Whether it’s trustee Helen
Hayes dropping by Judy’s office to make a phone call to a
donor, watching trustee Colleen Dewhurst help people in
need access emergency financial assistance or working
personally with trustee Barnard Hughes on fundraising
appeals, Judy is proud of her part in Actors Fund history.
Judy gets a lot of satisfaction from helping supporters,
adding, “it’s the donors that make my day. It’s the interaction
with them that I love.” She takes pride in addressing any of
their concerns. “If you deal with people honestly, they feel it.”
After 25 years, Judy’s dedication and commitment to raising
revenue for a cause she is still passionate about keeps donors
giving to help everyone in our entertainment community.
25 Years of Giving—
Donor David Graham
“Judy and I have become friends over the phone.
Whenever I make donations she helps me out.
I’ve had a good career and I’m very fortunate,
but it’s very important to support The Fund.
I appreciate what they do for everyone in our
community in need.”
Our donors have a passion for the arts, and
many work in show biz. Hundreds of them give
generously year after year—like agent and casting
director David Graham. David’s entertainment
career started in 1943 when he joined Actors’
Equity and spans more than 60 years. He cast
the 1977 film The Turning Point and the popular
sitcom Three’s Company, among others.
JOIN TODAY  actorsfund.org/Membership
25 Years of Support—Administrative Coordinator Gloria Jones
It takes an entire company
to put on a show, and we all
know the people backstage
are equally—if not more—
important than the stars on
stage. While The Fund’s team
of social workers helps more
than 17,000 people every year,
there is an unsung crew behind
the scenes who support them.
One person who has been a vital part of our New York office
for more than two decades is Administrative Coordinator
Gloria Jones.
A native New Yorker, Gloria worked as an office manager
for a school in Harlem and as a retail credit collections
manager before joining The Fund in 1989. “I’m a jack of all
trades, master of none,” Gloria jokes.
But many would argue that point. Whether it’s keeping the
office running smoothly, managing Medicaid reimbursements
for clients, or helping maintain detailed paperwork necessary
to process emergency financial assistance, Gloria assures the
New York social work team can respond efficiently to calls
for help.
“Our social workers help thousands of people every year.
If you are working with someone in a crisis situation, that can
be very stressful,” says National Director of Social Services
Tamar Shapiro. “Gloria supports us and makes sure we have
everything we need to help our clients. She’s a vital member
of our team, and she’s terrific.”
Gloria has also mastered the ins and outs of the funeral
industry, as she helps people access one of the The Fund’s
older services: funerals and burials for those in need.
In 1886, The Fund purchased its first plot at the Cemetery
of the Evergreens in Brooklyn and, in 1904, bought its second
at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. These
locations are now the final resting place of over 2,000
entertainment professionals.
Today, The Fund continues to assist with the cost
of funerals and provides a grave with a headstone
to those who can’t afford one. “I’m proud of the
fact that everyone we help is treated with that same
dignity,” says Gloria.
Known as the resident party planner, Gloria helps
to coordinate and decorate staff wedding and baby
showers, farewell parties and even the occasional
staff pot-luck. “It helps keep people’s spirits up and
it’s fun.”
And her off-duty hobbies? Gloria is an aspiring
author with three murder mysteries already finished,
which she plans to self-publish.
25 Years of Caring—Supervisor of Addiction
and Recovery Services Rosalyn Gilbert, L.C.S.W.
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.
As Supervisor of The Fund’s
Addiction and Recovery Services for 25 years, Roz Gilbert
provides support for industry professionals and their family
members who are struggling with addiction. Together, she helps
people develop a plan, get treatment, stay sober and get their
lives back on track.
Originally from California, Roz received her bachelor’s from
UCLA and a Masters in social work from Columbia University.
Her work as a New York State narcotics parole officer led her
to a career path in addiction and recovery and extensive experience in psychiatric and substance abuse treatment programs
before joinging The Fund.
Roz has helped hundreds of people find their way back to
sobriety and hope. She is an advocate when people have
problems getting their insurance to provide the treatment
they need, and she has negotiated lower fees if a client has
to pay out of pocket.
“I feel good when I can fight for my clients and for what
I feel is right,” she says. And Roz is particularly proud of recent
trainings for unions such as Local 1 IATSE and industry
employers including Jujamcyn Theatres, which have helped
people recognize the signs of addiction.
“We’ve begun training supervisors, employers and industry
professionals about abuse and addiction, helping them understand the impact on the workplace, on the industry, and on
people’s lives,” she says. “We teach them to identify addiction
and abuse problems and how to respond and take steps by
working with us to get people the help and treatment they
need. We want to change the industry culture of denial to one
of understanding, support and providing help for its own.”
Roz spoke with us about her supportive and life-changing
work. Read more  actorsfund.org/Roz
23 Years of Sobriety—
Actor and former client Ed Dixon
“In 1991 Roz Gilbert facilitated my drug treatment, which saved my life. She did this in a few
moments, and I thought, ‘How is it possible that
this woman was here working for this organization during my entire drug addiction and just
around the corner from me and able to do THIS
and I had no idea?’ Then she oversaw my aftercare which saved my life many times over and
continues to save my life every day. I have worked
with many therapists in my life, but none so
astute or comprehensive as Roz Gilbert. A great
woman doing great work for a great many years.”
4
{
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Actors Fund
Special
Performances
and Events
PHOTOS | actorsfund.org/photos
VIDEO | youtube.com/actorsfundorg
Disney Celebrates 20 Years
on Broadway with $1.6 Million
Benefit Night
The 2014 Actors Fund Gala raised a record-breaking $1.6 million,
as a sold-out audience at the New Amsterdam Theatre witnessed
stars of 20 years of Disney on Broadway perform highlights
from the producing powerhouse’s history of award-winning
shows. The evening honored the creative collaborators and staff
members of Disney Theatrical Productions. Formed in 1994 and
operating under the direction of president, producer and Fund
Trustee Thomas Schumacher, Disney received the Medal of
Honor along with Fund CEO Joseph P. Benincasa for his 25 years
of service to the creative community.
Special thanks to Title Sponsor Disney Theatrical Productions,
Presenting Sponsors Flemington Car & Truck Country, the
Nederlander Organization and the Somerset Patriots, as well as
more than 1,600 donors at the sold-out benefit concert and more
than 950 donors and guests who attended the private cast party
the New York Marriott Marquis.
Read more  actorsfund.org/DisneyGala
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
Abby Schroeder
Assistant Secretary
Steve Kalafer
Treasurer
Lee H. Perlman
Assistant Treasurer
Philip S. Birsh
Vice Chair
The 18th Annual
Tony Awards® Viewing Party
Bebe Neuwirth
Vice Chair
The Fund’s 18th Annual Tony Awards® Viewing Party at the
Skirball Cultural Center was once again the place to be in
Los Angeles on Broadway’s biggest night. Ticket sales and
sponsorships along with the online and silent auctions
and the evening’s special pledge led by Michele Lee
and Roger Bart raised more than $300,000—our most
successful party to date. Hosts Florence Henderson and
Constantine Maroulis started the evening off by leading
our guests in a rousing version of “76 Trombones,”
complete with a 28 piece marching band from the Palos
Verdes High School’s Red Tag Regiment—all in honor of
Broadway legend and this year’s Julie Harris Award winner
Barbara Cook. Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor Wells
Fargo; Director’s Committee Sponsors Ralph Remington,
Actors’ Equity Association; Ilyanne Morden Kichaven,
SAG-AFTRA; Host Committee Sponsors Anne Jeffreys;
Scott Mauro, Scott Mauro Entertainment, Inc.; David
Rambo and Ted Heyck; Stephanie F. Troulman; Bonnie
Tseng, CTBC Bank Corp. (U.S.A.); Martin Wiviott, The
Nederlander Organization; and David Young, Writers
Guild of America West as well as the evening’s many
donors, supporters and hard-working volunteers. Special
thanks to our Event Committee Chairs Jomarie Ward and
John Holly, as well as this year’s writer, producer and
director Luke Yankee.
Read more  actorsfund.org/TonyParty2014
Philip J. Smith
Vice Chair
Joseph P. Benincasa
President and CEO
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!
Mark your calendar for
these upcoming events!
Visit actorsfund.org to join us for the best seats and the hottest tickets!
July 7
First Wives Club Reading, NYC
July 18
Wicked, Special Performance, NYC
July 21
Jock Duncan Celebri-TEE
Golf & Tennis Outing, Tenafly, NJ
July 30
The Lion King, Special Performace,
Washington DC
August 16
Broadway Under the Stars, Hollywood
August 17
The Lion King, Special Performance, NYC
September 28
Bullets Over Broadway, Special Performance, NYC
For tickets:
In New York, call 212.221.7300 ext. 133
In Los Angeles, call 323.933.9244 ext. 458
Visit actorsfund.org.
Photos (clockwise l-r): Tony® winner Gabriel Ebert thanks the audience at
Matilda The Musical. Tony® winner Billy Porter congratulates Tony® winner
Jessie Mueller at Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Tony® winner Tyne Daly
and the company of Mothers and Sons take a bow for their donated performance.
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
Marc Hostetter
Ken Howard
David Henry Hwang
Anita Jaffe
Kate Edelman Johnson
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
B.D. Wong
Nick Wyman
5
Real Stories, Real Lives
In 1882, The Actors Fund began its long and important tradition of providing vital services to entertainment and performing arts professionals who were
facing times of need, crisis or transition. Since then, the myriad ways in which The Fund can help individuals has expanded exponentially—especially
in the last few decades.
Under the 25-year leadership of President Joe Benincasa, The Fund has added programs like the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative (PNWHI),
The Dancers’ Resource, The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC), the HIV/AIDS Initiative, The Actors Fund Work Program (AWP), and others,
and has also built upon its affordable and supportive housing offerings, crisis response and more.
These services and many others have ensured that more than 17,000 people every year have help in times of need. But the real story of The Actors Fund is best
told by people in our creative community who know first-hand how The Fund helps artists to thrive. Here are just a few. We invite you to read more on our website!
Read more  actorsfund.org/Blog
“I don’t know what I would have
done. I would have probably lost my
apartment.The people at The Actors
Fund went above and beyond, and
were so wonderful and supportive
during the whole process.”
PNWHI helped actor, dancer and stuntwoman Julie
Basem with an emergency financial grant to pay her rent
for two months to prevent her eviction after a nearly fatal
motorcycle accident prevented her from working. Today,
Julie is on the mend and back to work.
Read more  actorsfund.org/Julie
Phyllis Newman
on The Actors Fund’s Phyllis
Newman Women’s Health
Initiative (PNWHI)
“I know from personal
experience the fear and pain
that can spring from a major
medical crisis. In 1983, I was
diagnosed with breast cancer
which led to a double mastectomy. At that time,
you didn’t hear a lot of inspirational stories, and
you didn’t know many people who were survivors
because everyone was so quiet about it. This is no
longer the case. Today, my female colleagues in
entertainment have PNWHI: a safe place to go to
address serious medical concerns or crisis and get
confidential and compassionate help.”
|
“When I came to The Actors Fund,
an expert showed me my options
in a clear, efficient and simple manner
and got me signed up. Her expertise
and professionalism made all
the difference. Without AHIRC
I probably would not have health
care today.”
Michael Kamber is a freelance photojournalist and founder/
director of the Bronx Documentary Center. When he
welcomed AHIRC’s Renata Marinaro to the center to give
a presentation to freelance artists and journalists about the
Affordable Care Act, he discovered that he could afford
health insurance. AHIRC helped him navigate the process.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
on The Actors Fund’s Artists
Health Insurance Resource
Center (AHIRC)
“Healthy artists means
healthy arts! I’m so proud
of how AHIRC connects
creatives around the
country to health insurance
and affordable health
care. And they’ve been doing this since 1998.
Today, our community has experts to help them
navigate and access affordable health insurance
under the new Affordable Care Act. Bravo!”
Read more  actorsfund.org/Michael
“When I really say it changed my
direction in my career, I really mean it.
I don’t think I’d be sitting here right now
if The Actors Fund’s Dancers’ Resource
wasn’t available to me.”
After a debilitating dance injury sustained while
on tour left her in need of surgery, The Dancers’
Resource provided dancer Jennifer Cadden with guidance
to file her worker’s compensation claim. Today, Jennifer
has healed and after multiple scholarships, is back to
training, teaching and performing.
Read more  actorsfund.org/Jennifer
Bebe Neuwirth
on The Actors Fund’s
Dancers’ Resource
“I started this program
to create a support
system and address the
unique situations faced
by dancers. The program
is here to help us all keep
dancing, stay healthy
and enjoy our beautiful
gift as long as we can. I’m hoping that dancers
everywhere will remember The Actors Fund
when they hear of colleagues and friends in
need.”
6
Annette Bening
on The Actors Fund’s
Affordable and Supportive
Housing
“This living situation saved my life
in terms of what was going on with
me at that time. It’s been wonderful.
I absolutely love it. Everyone is
incredibly supportive.”
“A measure of our humanity
is how we care for those in
need among us. We should
be proud of how we help
at our four residences—
and how the healthy and
working join with the ill
and disabled to build community. The Actors
Fund is devoted to caring for one another and
dedicated to collaborating with government,
foundations, individuals, unions and guilds,
trade associations—everyone who shares our
commitment to supporting the arts by helping
the artist.”
Years after an accident left him partially paralyzed,
Tony® Award winning director Jack Hofsiss was facing the
possibility of homelessness. He found a safe and affordable
alternative at The Actors Fund’s Dorothy Ross Friedman
Residence. Today, he continues to teach (even offering
his students classes in the building’s Colleen Dewhurst
Community Room from time to time) and to direct on a
regular basis.
Read more  actorsfund.org/Jack
BD Wong
on The Actors Fund’s
HIV/AIDS Initiative
“It’s been a godsend to me, and I
know for a lot of other people, too.
I don’t know if we would have been
able to survive in New York—or
anywhere—without it.”
“When the AIDS crisis hit in
the mid-1980s, The Actors
Fund quickly responded
by creating the HIV/AIDS
Initiative. To this day, they
continue to work with those
who are newly diagnosed,
those living and working with the virus and
those who are ill. And our ongoing ability to take
action has been a direct result of the creation
and support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights
AIDS.”
Originally diagnosed with HIV in 1987, dancer Joseph
Carman received emergency financial assistance and
ongoing counseling to help him over the course of his
journey. Today, he participates in The Actors Fund’s weekly
long-term survivors support group, and at the urging of his
social worker, he’s thriving by continuing to study and teach
yoga on a regular basis.
Read more  actorsfund.org/Joseph
“For the first time I was able to bridge the gap
between who I am as an artist and who I am
as a professional outside show business. I think
that’s why it’s important to have The Actors Fund,
because it’s a unique place where creative artists
can get help to not only make ends meet, but also
to find fulfilling and sustainable parallel career
options that can help us thrive as artists.”
Vanessa Williams
on The Actors Fund
Work Program (AWP)
Sina Lewis is a Los Angeles–based actress and singer. When she found herself
unable to find sideline work to support herself, she turned to AWP, which
helped her regain her confidence, hone her job-seeking skills, and ultimately connect her with a position as IT
Coordinator for American Film Institute that’s the perfect complement to her creative career.
Read more  actorsfund.org/Sina
“When I showed up there it immediately
put my mind at ease, because I felt
that I wasn’t alone. I had found this
amazing resource.”
“Work is always
sporadic in the
entertainment field.
Shows close, a film or
Photo: Rod Spicer
television show wraps
and its back to square
one. The episodic nature of our business poses
a constant and unique challenge to people in
the arts trying to find steady work in their field.
AWP is a lifeline to a caring community of artists
all committed to helping each other survive
and thrive.”
Unsure what direction to take after giving up a long-time sideline job, actor and voiceover artist Desmond Dutcher
utilized AWP’s free seminars, classes and weekly job bulletin to plan his next steps. Today, he’s found a position that
he finds meaningful, with the flexibility to pursue work as an actor and voiceover artist.
Read more  actorsfund.org/Desmond
Thank you to our Corporate Partners
Bank of America
PNC Bank
The New York Times
CTBC Bank
Ulysse Nardin
Road Concierge
Lladro
TD Bank
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.