You always hear about Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, but is broadway/equity doing anything about raising awareness or funds towards cancer developement?
'Acting provides the fulfillment of never being fulfilled. You're never as good as you'd like to be. So there's always something to hope for.'
-- Washington Irving
I've had the same thought many times. I know plenty of people who have had cancer, are suffering with cancer currently or have died from cancer. I wonder if anyone has brought it up to the powers that be...
Are you kidding? Because even if you are, it's not funny.
Call the understudy / I can't go on tonight / I'm drinking with my buddy / I'm getting good and tight / Before they raise the curtain I'll be higher than a kite / So call the understudy
I can't go on tonight
Fosse is correct. One of the beneficiaries of BC/EFA fundraising efforts is the the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. They provide services and support to women in the industry who have critical health concerns including various types of cancer.
thats awesome! i had no idea the BC/EFA helped out with other causes as well. thats really cool.
I am an actor, but this stuff is also very important to me, like it probably is to you guys too.
thanks for the info, Fosse, and others!
'Acting provides the fulfillment of never being fulfilled. You're never as good as you'd like to be. So there's always something to hope for.'
-- Washington Irving
You know you can't fight EVERY battle. BC/EFA started at a time when there was very little being done to combat HIV/AIDS. The community was devastated by the disease, losing some of it's major talent forever and it recognized that not enough was being done to bring attention to the pandemic. They chose to step up and do something about it at a time when that was not such a popular thing to do. Now, thankfully, and mostly because of the early crusaders, there are many more AIDS organizations that provide wonderful care and education to people fighting this disease. We should be so grateful to Equity and the millions who have helped make BC/EFA one of the oldest and biggest fundraisers in the country. Don't criticize them for what they DON'T do, praise them for all they have done and continue to do. And KEEP GIVING!
BC/EFA is doing lots for cancer patients, especially in recent years -- I figure it has to do with the fact that the number of people in the entertainment industry affected by AIDS thankfully seems to be slowing (though of course it's not over), and many people have also been lost to cancer, so they have branched out by also giving money to cancer-related charities.
In fact, I thought this topic title might be a sarcastic comment by someone pointing out that BC/EFA spends so much time talking about cancer that they should change the name.
I know this is an old article, and that some people are against bumping things like this, but I felt a need to ask a variation on the question.
Is BC/EFA the major actors and theatre related cancer fighting group? I recently served as librettist and additional lyric writer for the world premiere of a musical addressing the day-to-day struggles of a young cancer "survivor" whose remission has ended, and is back in the world of the disease. The premiere was greeted warmly, but several people have suggested pursuing a connection or a nonprofit partnership with such a group in a future production- someone suggested a hypothetical "Michael Douglas Foundation" as an example.
Would BC/EFA be the go-to group for this sort of thing, or is there an "Actors Fight Cancer" I should be aware of and solicit assistance from? If there isn't, we will either simply take donations for the cancer branch of BC/EFA, or (considering that we have several social workers and grant writers among the production staff) we may simply start a Theatre-against-cancer charity of our own.