Hello, everyone. I’m Vivienne Benesch, Producing Artistic Director of PlayMakers Repertory Company.
First and foremost, I want to send you and yours love and strength navigating through this challenging and uncertain time. Like nearly every performing arts organization in the country, PlayMakers has had to cancel the remainder of the 2019–2020 season.
I’m not going to lie, it was heartbreaking to have pull the plug on so many months—and, in some cases, years—of hard work, for artists, artisans, staff and, in our case, for so many students as well. We’re now engaged in the equally challenging conversations about how we recover and move on:
Because we will.
Already, I’m simply bowled over by the generosity and compassion of our extended PlayMakers family, and I wanted to thank you personally. Whether that’s come in the form of your kind words about our all too-short-lived production of Julius Caesar, your incredible generosity in choosing to donate the cost of your unused tickets, or through small and meaningful acts of heroism. Like those of company members who are busy sewing surgical masks to donate to hospitals, or running essential errands—at a good social distance—for others who can’t.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Here’s the main thing I want to say moving forward: We’re PlayMakers. We’ve been play-makers for a hundred years now, and our plan is to be PlayMakers for a hundred more.
So for however long we can’t welcome you into our theatres in person, we are committed to staying connected. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing and generating a variety of different material with our extended family—that’s you! Please be on the lookout for those posts and e-mails! And, if you’re so inclined, participate too! We always love hearing from you, but now more than ever it buoys our spirits as we hope to buoy yours.
That’s all for now… Please Stay safe everyone.
I’m Vivienne Benesch, and I’m proud to say, I’m a PlayMaker.