This has been a year like few others. Yet, despite all the adversity around us, the 2nd Act Players has remained true to its mission —- thanks to the help of our donors, our sponsors, ticket buyers, actors, graphic designer, wardrobe director, show directors, our board members, and playwrights.
When we shut our theater in March, we resolved to continue telling stories about people facing key 2nd acts in their lives. We also resolved to address the major issues of this year — systemic racism in the American justice system, and the toll Covid-19 is taking on American lives.
We did that with our first streaming production in July, More Rivers Will I to Cross, showcasing two works by Chicago playwright Andre Richardson Hogan II and an all African-American cast and director.
The result of those efforts was an almost $1,000 donation of ticket sale proceeds by 2nd Act Players to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to help the continuing fight for justice for all.
In November, we presented eight short plays looking at how characters were redefining themselves in their Golden Years, plays we had originally planned to perform on stage in the spring. We pivoted to online productions in November with amazing cast members who had to quickly learn to act to green screens rather than with other actors in the same space as they were.
The results were truly impressive, audience members told us again and again. We could not be prouder of those works.
And while the pandemic meant a major drop in our overall revenue for the year, we limited our financial damage thanks to those sponsors who stuck with us and to individual donors who responded again and again as we appealed for funds to upgrade equipment in our theater, sold special pandemic T-shirts in the spring to keep our virtual doors open and appealed again in the fall for funds to equip our actors for online productions.
We received no grants or Covid relief funds from any arts organizations, foundations or governmental bodies. We are too small to matter to those groups. So we depend on you, our patrons and donors for support.
This has been the most difficult year we have faced in the eight years we have existed, but we are still here and still telling stories to warm the heart, to occasionally elicit laughter, and to make people think about issues larger than themselves.
Enjoy our year-end video here. We wish everyone a happy and safe 2021.