Terrence McNally Estate Awards Grant to Austin Artists Project to Support Lincoln Center Debut

Austin Artists Project, a nonprofit that produces world class programs to invest in artistic opportunities for underrepresented voices, recently received a $10,000 grant from the Terrence McNally Estate, which will help support the upcoming musical revue, "Sing Out!" on June 20. "Sing Out" will feature an all LGBTQ cast at The Jazz Club at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Terrence McNally was well-known as an LGBTQ trailblazer, the playwright behind some of the first and most iconic LGBTQ characters on the Broadway stage, and was an important chronicler of the AIDS epidemic with plays like "Love! Valour! Compassion!", "Lips Together, Teeth Apart", and "Andre's Mother". He was the recipient of 5 Tony Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement in 2019, and was dubbed by NYTimes as the "bard of the American Theater."

A celebrated mentor throughout his life, it was always important for McNally to give back to other artists.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this grant from the Terrence McNally estate," Mela Sarajane Dailey, founder of Austin Artists Project, said. "Mr. McNally's work helped inspire our mission at Austin Artists Project and we will honor his legacy by sharing stories of overlooked individuals through song and personal perspectives. Now more than ever, people need to see themselves celebrated in a world that often tries to erase their existence."

Terrence McNally grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, before moving to New York City. He would often return to the state for various productions of his plays, musicals, and operas.

"Terrence never forgot the places he came from," reflected his husband, Tom Kirdahy. "He supported many Texas artists and arts institutions throughout his life and donated his papers to the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin where anyone can still explore them today. He would have been delighted by the mission of the Austin Artists Project and, as a voracious consumer of music, he would have loved the concert."

The Terrence McNally estate will join Playbill and the Human Rights Campaign in partnering on "Sing Out!" during New York Pride.

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