New STAGE Act Legislation Seeks to Support Struggling Nonprofit Theatres

A new bill has officially been proposed by lawmakers in Congress to help struggling, professional nonprofit theatres across the country. Introduced by Peter Welch (D-Vt.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) & Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), the Supporting Theater and the Arts to Galvanize the Economy (STAGE) Act of 2024 seeks to provide funds for theaters and artists to continue to stimulate economic activity on the local level.

The STAGE Act proposes that the goverment would provide $1 billion annually in grants administered through the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The money could be used by the recipients to "support activities to assist theaters in keeping their doors open."

"With everything else that was going on, the expectation was this would die on the vine, but it didn’t — as this started getting momentum, there was excitement about being about to do something concrete," Welch told the New York Times. "There are obstacles, but let the effort begin."

The legislation description reads: "Despite the extensive economic contributions, this critical artform is struggling to survive in a post-pandemic world. Theaters are closing. Across the industry, audiences are down 20-50% from pre-pandemic levels. Without robust national investment, more nonprofit theaters Will Close.

"The federal aid provided during the pandemic through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was transformative and kept many nonprofit theaters open. However, the industry is experiencing a lagging recovery, fueled by profound shifts in audience behavior, economic challenges like inflation, and now federal support is running dry. With a new infusion of federal assistance, nonprofit theaters will be able to keep the marquee lights burning bright for the next generation of theatergoers."