Theatre Projects Manitoba Raises Almost $3k for the Actors' Fund of Canada

Proving that you don't need to be a big theatre to make a big difference, Theatre Projects Manitoba raised $2,894 for the Actors' Fund of Canada by doing a week of audience collections during the run of The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz. Tom Keenan, Eric Nyland, Tracy Penner and Daria Puttaert, the four actors in the show made curtain speeches and donations were collected in the lobby by Theatre Projects Manitoba staff, volunteers, and Board members. With full houses and generous audience members, a collection effort that the theatre thought might raise $1,000 ended up raising three times that amount.

"We were absolutely thrilled after counting the first night's donations to realize that in one night we had raised half of what we had expected to raise in the week. That's when we knew this thing was going to be big" said Artistic Director, Ardith Boxall. "It was such an easy way to raise money for an important cause, and more importantly, everybody enjoyed taking part. We had a group of dedicated actors who wanted to raise as much as possible, and it was their energy and heartfelt speeches that made it such a success. We raised over $2,800 in a 125 seat theatre, so for anybody who thinks that their theatre is too small to make it worth it, I would point to this and say that no theatre is too small. All you need is a bucket and somebody who can explain to an audience how vital the Fund is to the wellbeing of Canada's theatre industry."

The Actors' Fund is the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. Performers and people working behind the scenes in film and television, theatre, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which disburses over $500,000 a year in assistance. 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. It receives no major government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.

Annual Actors' Fund benefit performances and audience appeals are provided for in the Canadian Theatre Agreement negotiated between Canadian Actors' Equity Association and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. The Actors' Fund expresses its appreciation to these associations for their support.

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