Coinciding with North Texas Giving Day Now (today), 18 North Texas professional theater companies have announced an alliance designed to usher the live theater world through the COVID-19 pandemic and recover   

The lockdown due to the coronavirus has proven devastating to the performing arts, with virtually none able to operate in any capacity, leaving stages dark and many artists without a livelihood.

The alliance is intended to “signal to artists and audiences alike that we are working together to safely get out stage lights on as quickly as possible,” says Craig Lynch, co-founder of Uptown Players, one of the participating theater companies. 

The 18 unified theaters — in addition to Uptown Players, they are Dallas Theater Center, Stage West, Kitchen Dog Theater, Shakespeare Dallas, Theatre 3, Undermain Theatre, Lyric Stage, WaterTower Theatre, Second Thought Theatre, Circle Theatre, Dallas Children’s Theater, Amphibian Stage, Jubilee Theatre, Casa Manana, Cara Mia Theatre, Firehouse Theatre and Bishop Arts Theatre Center — will work together to establish safety protocols and ensure an orderly return to live performances. Such cooperation between local groups is unprecedented in its scope.

The alliance has produced a video launching the public announcement, which you can watch below. You can also take time today to contribute financially to one of the troupe. 

— Arnold Wayne Jones