IDEA Speaker Series Launches at Fulton Theatre

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre in partnership with Greenfield is proud to announce the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Speaker Series. The Series of four events throughout the season kicks off Sunday, October 10, with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Executive Director Tom Viola. Tickets are FREE to the community, but reservations are required.

Through this exciting new outreach program, four distinct conversations will exemplify the Fulton's Mission of moving the collective soul of our community through art. The IDEA Speaker Series will take place in conjunction with four productions throughout the year, including Fun Home highlighting LGBTQ+ conversations, Cinderella exploring diversity in fairy tales, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee looking at ways to support social inclusion for people with disabilities, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Sweat examining at what cost the American Dream is realized. Additional Speakers Series dates will be announced later.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS founding member and Executive Director, Tom Viola, will be the featured guest of a panel discussion. The panel will also include Jeffrey Coon, currently playing Bruce Bechdel in the Fulton's production of Fun Home, and will be moderated by the Fulton's Executive Artistic Producer, Marc Robin.

Viola will recall the necessity for the formation of the non-profit during the height of the AIDS pandemic. He will also talk about the growth of the organization, how it branched out, while keeping the mission forefront. Other social service programs of Broadway Cares include the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, and The Actors Fund, which recently distributed more than $22 Million in emergency financial assistance to more than 16,000 people in the Entertainment Industry during 2020. The fundraising methods include coveted events like the Broadway Flea Market, and Broadway Bares, which themselves help to define Broadway today.

The conversation will also explore why a person living during the 1970s would marry the opposite sex to hide their sexuality (as Bruce Bechdel did in Fun Home). What fears existed then, and remain to today? What are the strains on Mental Health caused by the cover up by both parties?

Tom Viola is the Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), one of the nation's leading industry-based not-for-profit fundraising and grant-making organizations.

Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $300 million for essential services for people living with HIV/AIDS and other critical health issues nationwide. broadwaycares.org

BC/EFA supports a wide variety of programs at The Actors' Fund: The HIV/AIDS Initiative; The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative; Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts; Artists Health Insurance Resource Center, The Dancers' Resource; Addiction and Recovery Services and more. In 2020, BC/EFA awarded The Actors Fund over $11.2 million. Since 1988, $112 million.

In addition, BC/EFA awards grants to over 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. In 2020, BC/EFA's National Grants Program awarded more than $8 million to these social service agencies. Since 1988, $126 million.

A native of Pittsburgh, Viola is a graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati. He performed in dinner theatres and regional theatres and worked as a freelance writer until 1987 when he was hired by Actors' Equity Association for what was to be a temporary assignment. He became president Colleen Dewhurst's executive assistant and, in 1988, the administrative director of the then-fledgling Equity Fights AIDS, until its merger with Broadway Cares in 1992. He has been executive director since 1997.

Since 1998, Viola has served as a Trustee of The Actors Fund and is chair of The Actors Fund's Human Services Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

In 2010, Viola was awarded the Tony Honor "in recognition of the leadership, advocacy and creativity with which he has mobilized the theatre community's response to AIDS and other critical health issues as executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS."

He's also been honored with the Howard Ashman Award from GMHC, the Patrick Quinn Award for Distinguished Service from Actors' Equity, the Sandy Fund Award from the Humane Society of New York and The Mosaic Award for Distinguished Alumni from the University of Cincinnati. He never forgets that before all that he was also one hell of a cater-waiter.

Jeffrey Coon is a Lancaster based actor and the Fulton's Annual Fund and Foundation Director. Currently playing Bruce Bechdel in the Fulton's Production of Fun Home, Coon has performed in over 100 professional productions, which include the Fulton's production of Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express, Mamma Mia!, A Christmas Carol, Blackbird, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, A Christmas Story The Musical, 4000 Days and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame for a week. He is the co-creator and Executive Director of The Summer Club, a night club cabaret show featuring musical standards, stand-up comedy and a 17-piece Big Band which has been featured at the Fulton.

Marc Robin has worked extensively in this "Business we call show" since he was Toto in The Wizard of Oz ... age 4. He is honored to continue his relationship with the magnificent Fulton, which began 21 years ago (He was a guest director in 2001 for Evita, became Artistic director in 2009 and is about to start his 6th year as Executive Artistic Producer.) He has staged over 450 productions including shows in London, New York, Chicago, and California. He has garnered many awards and nominations including Joseph Jefferson, After Dark, Barrymoore, and Broadway World to name a few. When he isn't at the Fulton, he can be found at his second home at Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick Maine where he recently finished his 15th Summer Season.

The IDEA Speaker Series is sponsored by Greenfield, The Lancaster County Community Foundation, and PPL. Tickets are FREE by calling 717.397.7425. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis.

The IDEA Speaker Series will also take place at the S. Dale High Leadership Center in Greenfield on Monday, October 11 at 4:00 pm. Tickets are also free and open to the public but require a reservation at Greenfield website.

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