American Theatre Wing Announces First Phase of COVID-19 Response Efforts; Obie Awards Go Virtual

The American Theatre Wing has outlined the first phase of its National COVID-19 Response Effort, which includes funding initiatives to help support and sustain the theater community at both the local and national level, as well as a series of new, online educational offerings. The Wing has also announced that the 65th Annual Obie Awards, originally scheduled to be held at Terminal 5 on May 18, will be postponed and reconceived as a virtual event, with awards being handed out for shows that opened between May 1, 2019 and March 12, 2020.

Details about the 2020 Obie Awards ceremony, which recognizes off and off-off Broadway theater, including its new date and time, will be announced in the coming weeks. In addition to the usual celebration of the work that’s happened this season, this year’s Obie Awards will also shine a light on the loss of the productions that were in rehearsal and performance at the time theaters closed.

The first phase of the American Theatre Wing’s National COVID-19 Response Effort encompasses three separate initiatives: The Theatre Artists Relief Fund, The National Rapid Relief Fund and virtual master classes. The $250,000 Theatre Artists Relief Fund offers relief to New York’s off and off-off-Broadway community of artists. Supported by the Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust and the theatrical production company No Guarantees, the fund will grant each artist $500 to help sustain them during this period of mandatory shutdowns. Head here to apply for a Theatre Artists Relief Fund grant.

The National Rapid Relief Fund provides immediate funds to regional theaters. The Wing will be making immediate gifts in the amount of $1,000, to each of the 82 prior recipients of the National Theatre Company Grants. See the complete list of eligible regional theaters here.

The Wing will also now be offering a new series of live masterclasses via Zoom and Facebook Live that will feature an array of theater professionals. Monthly meetings for the Wing’s The Network (formerly known as Theatre Intern Network – TIN), serving emerging leaders in the theater, will move online. The digitization of these programs will open these resources to a national audience, while still providing aspiring theater makers with advanced education, networking opportunities, and tools for career advancement within a supportive community. More information about these online resources will be available shortly here.

“When the arts get lost or diminished in the conversation about federal relief, we rely on the non-profit sector to ensure that a ‘full recovery’ includes the true pride of our nation: its cultural institutions and the artists that make them shine. This is just the first step in what will be a long road back, but it’s a vital one,” said American Theatre Wing President & CEO Heather Hitchens in a statement. “Providing relief during dark and difficult times is baked deeply into the Wing’s DNA and, just as we have since our founding in the midst of World War I, we will rise to the occasion and serve as a beacon of light and hope.”