Manitoba Theatre Centre Renews 'Good Vibrations Campaign'

The Manitoba Theatre Centre has announced that it will once again be running Good Vibrations, a campaign to encourage theatre patrons to turn off their cell phones. Beginning with the opening night performance of Strong Poison, an announcement will be made prior to every show in the 2009-10 season stating that the Centre will donate $5 to The Actors' Fund of Canada for every cell phone-free performance. If every show in the season is presented without a disruption the total donation could be as high as $1,300. Last year the program raised $895 for the Fund.

MTC General Manager Zaz Bajon is enthusiastic about renewing the program: "We are always happy to do what we can to support the Actors' Fund which does so much important work in the community. This program is great because it helps the Fund while making the performance more enjoyable for the cast, crew and audiences. We've tried everything to reduce the use of cell phones, but this positive reinforcement seems to be the only thing that really works!"

The Actors' Fund of Canada is the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. Performers and others who work behind the scenes in film and television, theatre, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which recently set a new record for the amount of financial aid delivered to industry members in a single year, topping $600,000 in 2008. The Fund has helped over 10,000 entertainment industry workers recover from illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship since it was founded in 1958.

The Fund is a registered charity that has paid out over $3.7 million in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses in the last 10 years. Performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can benefit from the Fund, which receives no government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.

For more information, visit the Manitoba Theatre Centre's website at www.mtc.mb.ca.

 

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