Casts of EVANGELINE and DEAR JOHNNY DEERE Raise Over $7,000 for Actors' Fund of Canada

Cast members of The Charlottetown Festival's Evangeline and DEAR JOHNNY DEERE raised their voices in support of the Actors' Fund of Canada on August 29, 30 and 31 in Prince Edward Island and audience members responded by contributing an amazing $7,364 in support of the Canadian charity.

Playing until September 28, Evangeline - a world premiere musical, with book, lyrics and music by Ted Dykstra, has been a huge success for The Charlottetown Festival. On August 29, 30 and 31 Artistic Director Anne Allan and performer Marlane O'Brien gave curtain speeches inspiring audience members to donate to the Actors' Fund of Canada. Everyone got involved in the collections with performers in costume helping out in the lobby after each show. "The Actors' Fund is a significant resource for Canada's entertainment industry professionals," says Jessie Inman, CEO of Confederation Centre. "We are very grateful to our theatre patrons for giving so generously."

The fundraising fun continued with another Charlottetown Festival original, Dear Johnny Deere, at the Festival's cabaret space, The Mack. Now closed, the Ken Cameron-penned show weaves the folksy and touching music of Ontario's Fred Eaglesmith through the tale of a hardworking Canadian farm couple. Patrons enjoyed great home-grown entertainment, the chance to win in a 50/50 draw, and gave generously in support of the Actors' Fund.

Every summer The Charlottetown Festival features world-class musical theatre based at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, Canada's national memorial to the Fathers of Confederation, including Anne of Green Gables--The Musical, Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, Evangeline, The Kitchen Witches and Come-All-Ye, and free outdoor performances.

The Actors' Fund of Canada is a registered charity that provides short-term financial aid to entertainment industry professionals working in theatre, film and TV, music and dance. The Actors' Fund is not just for actors: performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can apply for help from the Canadian charity. The Fund has delivered over $450,000 in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses to clients in the last 12 months and has helped over 11,000 entertainment industry members recover from injury, illness and other personal hardships since it was founded in 1958.

Photo Credit: David MacDonald

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