Is there a charity or organization that provides assistance for Las Vegas entertainers? Given that many shows remain dark due to the pandemic, I'd like to provide some help for the professionals who have given us so much happiness over the years.
Troy Heard, a veteran of the Las Vegas stage scene, both for-profit (Cirque du Soleil) and non-profit (Majestic Repertory Theatre, Las Vegas Little Theater and many others) says, “Honestly, the best way to support right now is to give to the non-profits — no bias here AT all. Majestic has a Patreon, too: www.patreon.com/majesticrep - that enables us to pay artists while working on projects without needing to rely on ticket sales.”
Another Vegas impresario and artist going the DIY route is operatic diva Luana DeVol, who wrote on Facebook today, “Time to step up and support Ginger [Land van Buuren]. Let's show our appreciation for all the effort and love Ginger has given to singers and the Las Vegas community.”
One wide-ranging effort has been launched by Theatre Communications Group, which has formed Freelancers Relief Fund, which is primarily directed toward theatrical designers. It covers scenic, lighting, sound and projection designers who had been employed between January 2019 and March 2020. It provides rapid-response grants of $1,000. Citing its priorities, Freelancers Relief Fund says “support for freelancers in other disciplines will be considered if additional funds become available in the future.” Let’s hope so.
