Thursday, December 01, 2016
Berkeley Rep Audiences Raise $92,000 for Hurricane Relief
Stage Directions: Berkeley Repertory Theatre raised $92,000 via donations from audience members during the run of its latest show, The Last Tiger in Haiti—which opened 10 days after Hurricane Matthew struck parts of Haiti. The two Haitian organizations that will receive the donations are Lambi Fund of Haiti, a unique grassroots organization whose mission is to assist the popular, democratic movement in Haiti; and Restavek Freedom, an organization whose mission is to end child slavery (or restaveks) in Haiti.
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2 comments:
First off, wow – that’s a lot of money! Good for them – I’m so glad to see articles like this about theatre companies paying it forward and raising money that will directly impact people’s lives. I think this type of work is necessary in theatre. Because art often affects the world indirectly, having a direct monetary effect is always a good reminder and how and why art is powerful in multiple ways. I love the fact that the Berkeley Reparatory Theatre not only took an opportunity to produce a work that regards the struggles faced by these Haitian people, but does so in a way that also acquires funding for direct impact for these people. It’s touching to read about the generosity and support from audiences. Using theatre as a tool to effect change – whether that is by informing, motivating, or moving an audience; or if it is a matter of motivating audiences to donate financially—using art as a form of fundraiser is a great idea.
Seeing articles like these make me feel truly inspired, in the light of what theater and its audiences can do. This article also hits especially close to home, as Berkeley Rep is a theater that has been part of my life for a very long time, as a young audience member, and young connoisseur of the arts section of the San Francisco chronicle. For as long as I remember, Berkeley Rep has been doing some pretty amazing things, and this is no different. Seeing this outpouring of love and compassion from a fixture in my home theater community is honestly what I needed to start my day today.
In addition to the sheer feel-good factor of this piece, the Rep has chosen some real winners in terms of charities to donate to. One, The Lambi Fund, works to bring transparent democracy to Haiti, a nation that has struggled with such things since its inception. The other organization is Restavec Freedom, an organization committed to ending child slavery in Haiti. I'm going to echo Scott's opinion of the charity choices, which are so much well spoken that mine.
So there, comments. I'm going to bid adieu and leave at that, my heart full and my eyes watering.
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