The Theatre Community Benevolent Fund Presents CARE-OKE

The Theatre Community Benevolent Fund (TCBF) presents CARE-oke, a fundraiser by the Greater Boston theatre community for the Greater Boston theatre community. The brainchild of local stage favorite, Amy Barker, CARE-oke is a way to see some of [your favorite performers from the comfort of your own home. We're all missing seeing people like Kathy St. George and Robert Saoud on stage. Through CARE-oke, you can see them on your screens!

Amy Barker, an established member of the Greater Boston theatre scene and favorite of audiences and critics alike, approached the TCBF board as an organization she has long admired for its important work in the community. Says Barker, "This is a tough time for us all and our theatre community has been hit especially hard. Many theatre artists in the Greater Boston area have no means of support right now and are struggling to make ends meet. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, TCBF has granted over $100,000 in aid but has raised only just over $55,000 and requests for assistance are still pouring in. We need your help."

Here's how "TCBF's CARE-oke" works: on each Tuesday and Friday of the coming weeks, artists from the Greater Boston theatre community will post a video of themselves performing something... a song, a monologue, a surprise... and, if you're able, you make a donation to TCBF. You can find videos in the News section of TCBF's website at http://www.tcbf.org/news/ or on TCBF's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TCBFund/. Check back every Tuesday and Friday to enjoy new videos and see if your favorite performers get nominated.

About the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund: TCBF provides financial relief in a confidential, respectful manner to individual theatre practitioners and non-profit theatre organizations of Greater Boston and the surrounding areas, facing occurrences of a catastrophic nature including but not limited to extreme illness, devastating acts of nature, housing emergencies, vandalism, and theft, and who have limited or no resources with which to handle such events. TCBF recognizes the essential value of artists and arts organizations to society, and treats all applicants with dignity, discretion, and compassion.

"TCBF has moved from an all-volunteer board that would meet a few times a year to review a handful of applications, to a dedicated group of board volunteers that are meeting bimonthly to ensure that the influx of applications receive a timely response. We are fortunate that many other greater Boston theatre community members see the value in TCBF and have reached out to offer their skills and time - with one-off cabarets, play readings, CARE-oke, social media, and technology support. It is a beautiful thing to see the theatre community support each other.

TCBF provides financial assistance to the Boston theatre community. Over the next several weeks, the board will develop a modified application process that will address both direct loss of work as a result of the pandemic and the lack of work opportunities while theatres and other cultural organizations remain largely closed. The new guidelines will allow theatre practitioners to apply more than once for support related to this pandemic, well into 2021. TCBF also plans to review its protocols for considering aid requests from theatre companies within our community, and hopes to share a revised process later this summer." Amy Spalletta, Board President, representing the TCBF Board. To apply or donate please visit www.tcbf.org.

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