Orlando arts leaders are banding together to save their most important resource — the actors, singers, dancers, technicians and others who bring shows to Central Florida’s stages.
“Things are getting desperate for folks,” said Janine Papin, an organizer of new aid group GOPAR — Greater Orlando Performing Arts Relief.
“It’s bad out there,” echoed producer-director Kenny Howard.
GOPAR will officially debut with a Labor Day weekend online variety-show fundraiser.
The idea for a relief fund grew from the “Social Distance Showcase,” a series of online fundraising variety shows created by Howard, playwright Michael Wanzie and producer Rich Charron as the coronavirus pandemic shut down Florida’s entertainment industry — leaving thousands without paychecks and struggling with the state’s unemployment system.
The online shows brought in more than $19,000, which was distributed to 187 people, Howard said. But as weeks of unemployment turned into months, it became clear that wasn’t enough. During an online meeting of area artistic directors, the idea of more permanent help for those who keep Orlando’s entertainment-based economy afloat was raised.
“The larger group said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have this for hurricanes, for emergencies all year long?'” said Howard, education director of Florida Theatrical Association. “All the organizations wanted to work together.”
But the arts leaders, from organizations such as Orlando Shakes, the Garden Theatre, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Orlando Repertory Theatre, realized they didn’t have the expertise to manage such a relief effort. Enter St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
The church, near the major theme parks in southwest Orange County, already has a strong relationship with the entertainment industry through its thriving, community-based music and theater programs. It also operates comprehensive outreach services for those in need, regardless of their religious beliefs.
“It was the perfect marriage between Theatre at St. Luke’s and our place in the community,” said Steve MacKinnon, who directs the church’s contemporary music and theater programs. “We bring a lot of people together. We were naturally already doing that.”
Since May, St. Luke’s has hosted a weekly Feed the Need Florida program that distributes food to entertainment workers — and provides moral support for people who may not be able to return to jobs for months yet.
The St. Luke’s theater program already helps raise awareness of social issues, said Mariam Mengistie, executive director of missions. Assisting performers in times of need builds is a practical reflection of that initiative.
“We believe in the dignity of people and building on the assets of what people have,” Mengistie said.
With a network of services already in place — including programs dedicated to mental and physical healthcare, budgeting advice and job searches, among others — St. Luke’s was positioned to help in a comprehensive way.
“Relieving immediate pain and suffering is the approach,” Mengistie said, “but our eye is on building resources for the long term.”
The St. Luke’s partnership provides other benefits: It makes donations to the GOPAR fund tax-deductible, and the church has an established track record of fostering startup agencies until they are ready to operate as their own nonprofits, a goal of the GOPAR organizers.
Among the organizations the church has launched: Poverty Solutions Group in Winter Garden and Shepherd’s Hope, which operates multiple health centers for the uninsured or others in need.
“What we know is how to take care of a community,” said the Rev. Melissa Cooper, minister of worship and arts. “Historically, St. Luke’s likes to look around and say, ‘Where are the gaps?'”
Local entertainment-industry workers, whether performers or backstage creatives and crew, are particularly vulnerable because many of them work on temporary contracts per show at area theme parks, theaters, nightclubs and dinner attractions. Without work, they have no benefits.
“The gig work can be problematic,” said Cooper. “There aren’t safety nets for people in this world, and yet these are the people who drive our lives here.”
GOPAR’s Labor Day fundraiser will stream at the organization’s Facebook page from Friday night, Sept. 4, to Monday night. A long list of participants includes arts groups from the Studio Theatre of Tierra del Sol in The Villages to Mount Dora’s Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse to Penguin Point Productions in Oviedo.
That breadth indicates how the whole region is affected by a situation that at the same time is intensely personal.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Cooper of the individually tailored St. Luke’s strategy.
Those who wish to apply for assistance must have worked in live entertainment during the past two years and be current residents of Lake, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Osceola or Polk Counties. A short application is at gopar.org, and each applicant’s situation will be evaluated through a confidential phone consultation with trained support personnel.
The GOPAR initiative marks one of the largest regional arts collaborations on record.
“I just can’t believe the cooperation and compassion from all the theaters,” said Howard.
“We’re all a team,” added Papin, who chairs the fine-arts program at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park. “Let’s get the ball rolling, let’s help people.”
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more news and reviews of theater and other arts? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts.
