THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ACTORS FUND
FALL
2010
ISSUE: VOLUME
13 ,
NUMBER
2
Affordable and Supportive Housing
Providing a Home for Artists
and Strengthening Communities
The Lillian Booth Actors Home
The Dorothy Ross Friedman
Residence (formerly The Aurora)
The Palm View
technology
Englewood, New Jersey
West Hollywood, California
Our beautiful, state-of- the-art assisted
living and skilled nursing care facility has a
dedicated professional staff, committed to
providing quality health care and supportive
services for 124 residents who devoted their
professional lives to performing arts and
entertainment, as well as their immediate
family members.
Opened in 1998 in partnership with the West Hollywood
Community Housing Corporation, The Palm View
includes 40 low-cost garden apartments for people living
with HIV/AIDS. Services are provided through The
Fund’s HIV/AIDS Initiative and other local supportive
service organizations.
I
n this issue of Marquee, we’re proud to present the
many ways your charitable dollars help The Fund
provide artists with access to affordable, supportive
and senior housing.
We’ve come a long way since 1902, when The Fund
opened a home for retired theatrical professionals on
Staten Island. Today, our four housing facilities are
complemented by a full range of programs and services,
offering our nearly 600 residents a stable base, help in
managing a crisis or life transition, and the opportunity
to enhance and improve their lives through the supportive
services they need to thrive as artists.
Median Income
Employed
Full-time
$30,100
70%
< $20,000
25%
Actors
$23,400
15%
Musicians and singers
$22,500
30%
Artists in the Workforce
Average working American
Dancers
Source: National Endowment for the Arts — Artists in the
Workforce, 2008.
News
Stewart F. Lane
and Bonnie Comley
New York City
Since 1996, our 30-story high rise in midtown
Manhattan has provided 178 units of shared,
supportive housing featuring a wide variety
of activities for the residents. Modern units
at affordable prices are offered to low income
working professionals, seniors and people
living with HIV/AIDS.
Your support does more than help these individuals.
Together, we are building communities. Thanks to you,
actors and artists living in Actors Fund housing have the
stability to reach their potential and to contribute to the
cultural vibrancy of their neighborhoods and their cities.
These artists, and so many more, are vital to performing
arts and entertainment, an industry that drives both
local and national economies,* inspires hope and lifts our
spirits — especially in difficult times like these. Yet most
performing artists earn far less than the average working
American (see table, “Artists in the Workforce”), and often
struggle just to find a steady living situation.
Healthy economies have proven to be closely tied to a
thriving cultural landscape. By coming together to ensure
that those who dedicate themselves professionally to the
arts have the affordable, supportive or senior housing they
need to continue their creative work — or to enjoy their
later years with dignity — you play a vital role in keeping
our country economically and culturally strong.
Your support also funds our Housing Resource Center,
which provides regular seminars and information on
finding affordable housing, roommate opportunities,
tenants’ rights and housing court. The online Housing
Bulletin Board allows the entertainment community to
post housing availabilities and search for places to live.
Donor Profile
see page 3
The Actors Fund
residents share
their stories
The Schermerhorn
Downtown Brooklyn
Opened in 2009 in collaboration with
Common Ground Community and
CUCS, The Schermerhorn offers 216
studio apartments, a multipurpose
community room/performance space
for resident activities and local arts
organizations (and a home to the
Brooklyn Ballet), creating a new
cultural hub for downtown.
Meanwhile, our newly formed Actors Fund Housing
Development Corporation (AFHDC) is looking to the
future, by proactively pursuing the development of housing
that enhances lives, creates jobs and fosters economic
development in communities across the country. AFHDC
is currently exploring exciting new opportunities in New
York City, New Jersey and downtown Los Angeles.
Providing access to affordable, supportive and senior
housing to everyone in performing arts and entertainment
means caring about people, your community and your
country. Visit us at actorsfund.org to donate today.
On behalf of our nearly 600 residents, and the 12,000
individuals The Actors Fund helps every year —
we thank you.
*In
recent years, the arts generated
$924 billion toward the United
States’ GDP — more than twice
that of auto manufacturing.
Source: Cornell University, ILR School,
Cultural Capital Report, 2009.
In this issue
Affordable and Supportive Housing.............. 1
Views from Annette Bening........................... 2
the Actors Fund Housing
Development corporation (AFHDc).........2
the Friedman Dedicates the Lobby
in Honor of Stewart F. Lane
and Bonnie comley.....................................2
Special Performances.................................... 3
5 Questions for Jane Friedman...................... 3
5 Questions for…
see page 2
Jane Friedman
Special Events................................................. 4
see page 5
the Actors Fund residents
Share their Stories.................................5–6
2
MarQUee FALL 2010
volume 13, number 2
vieWs from
Annette
Bening,
Housing for
everyone
Trustee of The Actors Fund
Dear Friends,
neWs
Decent, affordable housing for working professionals, colleagues
with special needs and seniors is essential. The Actors Fund is
focused on building more opportunities for people who need
housing. This issue of Marquee is devoted to all our housing
programs and services, and I’d like to tell you why I want to
help my colleagues in this way.
Working actors and others in show business need decent
housing because earnings are low. Most people earn about $23,000
a year and have to live in urban areas with high costs of living. They
also need access to good public transportation so they can get to
and from auditions, evening performances and off-hour sessions
and film shoots. Working in the arts, hours are seldom regular.
Also, seniors need a suitable place to retire for similar reasons.
Pensions are often modest, savings difficult to accumulate because
of the ups and downs of the business, and then there’s lifestyle —
it’s great to retire in a place with others who devoted their careers
to performing arts and entertainment.
A measure of our humanity is how we care for the ill among us.
We should be proud of how we help at our four residences — and
how the healthy and working join with the ill and disabled to build
community. The Actors Fund is devoted to caring for one another
and dedicated to collaborating with government, foundations,
individuals, unions and guilds, trade associations — everyone who
shares our commitment to supporting the Arts by helping the Artist.
Thank you for your support, and for your continued or future
support. Visit us online at actorsfund.org and make a tax-deductible
donation today.
should be proud of how we help
“at We
our four residences – and how the
healthy and working join with the ill
and disabled to build community.
”
The Future of Affordable and
Supportive Housing for Artists
What is AFHDC?
The Actors Fund Housing Development
Corporation (AFHDC) reflects an expansion of
the commitment of The Actors Fund to provide
affordable, supportive and senior housing to the
performing arts and entertainment community.
Thanks to seed funding provided by The Actors
Fund and the day-to-day focus and leadership of
its newly hired CEO, Scott Weiner, the AFHDC
is charged with a mission to proactively pursue
the development of housing that enhances the
lives of its residents, creates jobs and fosters
economic development in the community.
AFHDC Goes Green and Helps Artists Thrive
Serving as developer or co-developer of
appropriate projects, affordable housing
developed by the AFHDC will reflect principles
of sustainable “green” design and amenities to
foster the creative work of the residents including rehearsal and performance spaces. The
business model also adopts a strategy of maintaining integration with The Actors Fund, both
providing services to residents and leveraging
the capabilities and experience of its staff.
Where’s the Next Hot Spot for Artists?
Ask AFHDC!
Activities in regional urban centers with a large
performing arts and entertainment community
are the focus for AFHDC. Currently, we’re evaluating exciting opportunities for affordable housing as part of a new mixed-use development in
Newark, New Jersey. A five-week market survey
assessing affordable housing needs and demand
was launched in November. A report on this data
will be available in January and will inform future
projects and locations.
AFHDC, in collaboration with the Los Angeles
Department of Cultural Affairs, Artspace
Projects, Inc. and others is leading the evaluation of affordable housing plans as part of a
mixed use development, Broadway Arts Center,
in downtown Los Angeles, with research funded
by a grant from the National Endowment for
the Arts. Additional opportunities in New York
City are being evaluated with plans to expand
activities to Chicago and Las Vegas in the future.
Thanks to your support, AFHDC will help
house a new generation of artists! For more
information on AFHDC projects and initiatives,
contact CEO Scott Weiner at 917.281.5906 or
email [email protected].
Actors Fund Housing Development
Corporation Board of Directors
• Joseph Benincasa, President & CEO,
The Actors Fund
• Robert Wankel, Co Chairman & CEO,
The Shubert Organization
• David Steiner, Chairman, Steiner Equities
• Rose Cali, Trustee, Montclair State University
• Kristen Madsen, Sr. VP, The Grammy
Foundation & MusiCares Foundation
• Barbara Davis, COO, The Actors Fund
• Connie Yoo, CFO, The Actors Fund
• Scott Weiner, President & CEO, AFHDC
The Friedman Dedicates The Lobby in Honor
of Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley
Stewart and Bonnie received The Actors Fund
Medal of Honor at our 2008 Annual Gala.
National Headquarters
729 Seventh Avenue
10th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212.221.7300
Fax: 212.764.0238
Central Region
203 North Wabash
Suite 2104
Chicago, IL 60601
312.372.0989
Fax: 312.372.0272
Western Region
5757 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.933.9244
Fax: 323.933.7615
The Al Hirschfeld Free
Health Clinic
475 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
212.489.1939
The Dorothy Ross Friedman
Residence (formerly The
Aurora)
New York, NY
212.489.2020
The Palm View
West Hollywood, CA
323.933.9244
The Lillian Booth Actors
Home
Englewood, NJ
201.871.8882
The Schermerhorn
Brooklyn, NY
718.640.1845
Success Through Collaboration
The AFHDC is committed to conserving
resources by collaborating with local and
national arts organizations, developers of
affordable housing and all others that can
contribute to the success of providing more
affordable housing for artists.
Thanks to Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley,
the lobby entrance of The Dorothy Ross Friedman
Residence (formerly The Aurora) in New York City
will be getting a facelift!
The first housing development of its kind in the
country, The Friedman provides supportive housing
and on-site social services to special low-income
groups including seniors, working professionals and
people living with HIV/AIDS. The Actors Fund will
dedicate The Friedman’s new entrance in honor
of the Tony Award-winning producer couple and in
recognition of their $500,000 gift. Construction is
slated to begin in early 2011.
Stewart F. Lane, a Trustee of The Actors Fund,
is a four-time Tony Award-winning producer, writer,
director and owner of The Palace Theatre in New
York City. Bonnie Comley is an actress and a Tony
Award-winning producer. Their award winning
shows include Superior Donuts, Legally Blonde,
The Actors Fund is a national
human services organization
that helps all professionals
in performing arts and
entertainment. The Fund is a
safety net, providing programs
and services for those who are
in need, crisis or transition.
The 39 Steps, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Gypsy,
Fiddler on the Roof, The Will Rogers Follies, La Cage
Aux Folles and Woman of the Year.
“The Fund is so grateful to our good friends
Bonnie Comley and Stewart Lane,” stated Brian
Stokes Mitchell, Actors Fund Chairman. “They are
both great champions of our mission and their
endless compassion for the entire performing arts
and entertainment community in times of need is
truly inspiring.”
Join Stewart and Bonnie by remembering and
celebrating your loved ones through a named gift at
our residences, offices or through one of our many
programs. It’s a meaningful way of providing a lasting
legacy and sends a strong and powerful message of
commitment for The Fund’s essential work. Contact
Thomas Exton to find out more at 917.281.5929 or
email [email protected].
Marquee
212.221.7300 ext. 176
Fax: 212.536.7658
[email protected]
Actors Fund Programs:
SOCIAL SERVICES
Entertainment Assistance
Program
Mental Health
Chemical Dependency
HIV/AIDS Initiative
Phyllis Newman Women’s
Health Initiative
Senior and Disabled Care
The Dancers’ Resource
HOWL Emergency
Life Project
Looking Ahead
Financial Wellness
Conrad Cantzen Shoe Fund
Funerals and Burials
Union/Partner Programs
HEALTH SERVICES
Artists Health Insurance
Resource Center
Al Hirschfeld Free Health
Clinic
EMPLOYMENT
AND TRAINING
The Actors Fund Work
Program (AWP)
SUPPORTIVE AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
The Dorothy Ross
Friedman Residence
(formerly The Aurora)
The Palm View
The Schermerhorn
For more information on Actors
Fund programs, please call
800.221.7303 or visit our
website at www.actorsfund.org.
Photo credits: Nan Benincasa,
Jay Brady, Krissie Fullerton,
Celia Gannon,
Ben Strothmann,
Susan Varon
Design: Holly Wheeler
Copy: Joseph P. Benincasa,
David Engelman, Celia
Gannon, Amy Picar,
Tim Pinckney, Susan Varon,
Scott Weiner
special perForMances
3
{
}
Actors
Fund
special
performances
The Actors Fund closed 2010 with a spectacular season of thrilling Special
Performances. Some of the biggest hits on Broadway generously gave an extra
performance to benefit the programs and services of The Fund. The Addams Family
(starring Trustee Bebe Neuwirth), The Lion King, in New York and on the road in
Salt Lake city, Wicked, Million Dollar Quartet and Promises, Promises all provided
unforgettable nights. Special Performances are electric and thrilling — just like
an opening night — and help The Fund support everyone in performing arts and
entertainment in need, crisis or transition. Thank you to the unions, producers,
theatre operators and members of the following organizations who make Special
Performances possible and help The Actors Fund continue its vital work:
• Actors’ Equity Association
• Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM
• Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers
• Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
• United Scenic Artists Union
The Addams Family
The Lion King NYC
On July 11, The Addams Family
hosted a Special Performance to
benefit The Actors Fund. Bebe
Neuwirth and her co-star Nathan
Lane thanked the audience
following the show.
On August 1, the cast of the
international phenomenon The Lion
King gave their Special Performance.
The Lion King Salt Lake City
Million Dollar Quartet
On September 26, the rock and
rolling cast of Million Dollar
Quartet, blew the roof off the
Nederlander Theater at their
Special Performance.
The national tour of The Lion King thrilled their Salt Lake
City audience with a Special Performance on August 18.
Special thanks to the producers
of these hit shows, who donated
“Producer’s Picks,” or select
seats to give our supporters the
chance to see hit shows from
great locations!
Promises, Promises
Starring Emmy Award-winner Sean
Hayes and Tony and Emmy Awardwinner Kristin Chenoweth, the hit
revival of Promises, Promises gave an
unforgettable Special Performance on September 19.
Donor Profile
5 Questions for…
Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman supports The Actors Fund and has worked to sustain a vibrant arts
community on New York City’s Lower East Side. She has joined with The Actors Fund
to create the HOWL! Emergency Life Project (HELP), an outreach program for artists.
Her leadership will be recognized next year when The Aurora residence is re-named in
honor of her aunt as “The Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence.”
We caught up with Jane recently, and asked her about her incredible commitment
to The Fund, and to providing affordable housing for everyone in entertainment.
What prompted you to support The Actors Fund?
My dad. He loved The Actors Fund and I think that in theory, since around the age of 4,
so did I. My dad, Sam Friedman, had three homes. The one we lived in, the theaters he
worked in and that place with the porch and old friends where he planned to trade stories
and live out his days [The Lillian Booth Actors Home]. I grew up knowing all about The
Actors Fund and wondering if I’d get to live in Englewood, New Jersey one day too.
Why is housing an area that interests you?
Lack of housing interests me. We’ve finally managed to chase the creative spirit right
out of our city. In my lifetime, there’s never been affordable housing for artists. Now
especially, it’s not even in the equation. Artists upgrade the neighborhoods they pioneer
but never reap the benefits. They create the vibrancy and gentrification kicks them out.
We are the only country in the world who does nothing to support our artists. This is
why The Actors Fund is so vital. Someone has to stand up for the artist.
Wicked
The wildly popular and unstoppable
musical Wicked gave a Special
Performance on August 15. The
wonderful cast provided a magical
night for the sold out crowd.
American Idiot
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson
Elling
La Cage Aux Folles
Time Stands Still
Can you tell us why you chose to honor your aunt by having
The Aurora renamed in her honor?
My aunt Dorothy was a Boston-born jazz pianist and recording
artist who performed in a number of hotels and nightclubs in
New York City including the Bagatelle on 52nd Street where she
had a lengthy residency. My uncle, Dr. Gerald J. Friedman, played
saxophone in the Army and continued with his own band during his
medical residency at Bellevue Hospital. It was their love of music
that brought them together. My aunt still tells stories of how hard it
was to come to New York City with her group of female bandmates
and find suitable housing. New York in the 30’s and 40’s was a great
city to come to, but a hard one to remain in. Nothing’s changed.
Housing and safety for performers has always been an issue for her.
The HOWL! Emergency Life
Project provides assistance
to performing artists from
New York City’s East Village
Community.
Why did you start HOWL! HELP?
HELP stands for HOWL! Emergency Life Project. It is an emergency service and health fund
that supports artists who made and/or continue to make their careers in the East Village and
Lower East Side communities. Some artists make it and don’t need our help. Most don’t. We
don’t care about the reviews, we care about the artist. It is HOWL! Festival’s mission to raise
funds and see them put to work in the best of possible ways. Our determination is to honor
and support our community. The Actors Fund has a four-star rating [from Charity Navigator],
is a prompt responder and most of all takes the embarrassment out of asking for help.
Would you like to see an affordable housing residence built on the Lower East Side?
Are you kidding? When do we start?
To hear about other special Actors Fund naming opportunities, contact Thomas Exton,
Chief Advancement Officer at 917.281.5929 or email [email protected].
Visit us at actorsfund.org today to make a gift in honor of a loved one this holiday season!
It’s quick, easy and your special someone will get an acknowledgement of your generous gift.
special events
4
They’re
Playing
Our Song
(l-r): Actors Fund President and CEO Joe Benincasa, Linda Gray, Della Reese,
Olesya Rulin, Executive Producer Jim Casey and Producer Kim Waltrip.
Expecting Mary
On August 23, The New York premiere of the new independent film
Expecting Mary benefitted The Actors Fund. Stars Linda Gray, Della
Reese and Olesya Rulin, as well as Executive Producer Jim Casey and
Producer Kim Waltrip joined our supporters at The Crosby Street Hotel
for this exclusive screening and after-party. We send our thanks to the
stars of this film, and to Jim Casey for donating this special night. On August 30, a sold-out audience
cheered the musical gem, They’re
Playing Our Song at The Gerald W.
Lynch Theater at John Jay College.
Stellar performances by Tony winner
Sutton Foster and ever-hilarious Seth
Rudetsky brought this 1979 classic
charmingly to life. Directed and
choreographed by Denis Jones, with
musical direction by Steven Freeman,
the show also featured the talents of
Kaitlyn Davidson, Amber Efé, Alex
Ellis, Matt Loehr, Tyler Maynard and
Jesse Nager.
Lucie Arnaz and Robert Klein, stars of the original
Broadway production, attended the benefit evening.
(l-r): Sutton Foster, Ms. Arnaz, Seth Rudetsky, Actors
Fund President and CEO Joe Benincasa and Mr. Klein.
Mark your
calendars
For these upcoming events!
December 13
Musical Monday with Tony Award
winner John Lloyd Young
Special Event, Los Angeles
Friends of
The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
December 13
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson
Producer’s Picks, New York
On September 13, Trustee Edward Turen and his wife Jan
graciously opened their beautiful home Gloria Crest in
Englewood, New Jersey for a special evening of cocktails,
buffet and stellar performances, all to benefit The Lillian Booth
Actors Home. Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress (and
Fund Trustee) Bebe Neuwirth served as host for the evening
which included performances by Actors Fund Chairman of the
Board, Brian Stokes Mitchell, as well as Hunter Ryan Herdlicka
of A Little Night Music, Tony Award nominee Liz Larsen, Tony
Award-nominated actor/singer Tom Wopat and jazz newcomer
Peter Cincotti and his band.
Brian Stokes Mitchell and Edward Turen.
Visit actorsfund.org to purchase
your tickets today!
In New York, call 212.221.7300 ext. 133
In Los Angeles, call 323.933.9244 ext. 33
(l-r): Christopher Calkins and his wife, Actors Fund Trustee and celebrity
host Bebe Neuwirth, and the evening’s hosts Jan and Edward Turen.
Auction of
1000
Stars
Check out Auction of 1000 Stars at actorsfund.org
through December 15 to find that perfect holiday gift!
Auction winner Diane McEwen-Martin after her exhilarating
one-on-one voice lesson with soprano Renée Fleming.
December 15
La Cage Aux Folles
Producer’s Picks, New York
Acknowledgements
Continental Airlines
is the off icial airline
of The Actors Fund.
Nothing Like A Dame:
A Party for Comden
and Green
The 16th Annual Nothing Like a Dame benefit for
the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative
was held on November 1 at The Laura Pels Theater
and celebrated the extraordinary work of Broadway
icons, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Directed
by Carl Andress and hosted by Trustee Phyllis
Newman, the evening featured the talents of
Nancy Anderson, Polly Bergen, Charles Busch,
Mario Cantone, Victoria Clark, Bernard Dotson,
Debbie Gravitte, Larry Grossman, Hunter Ryan
Herdlicka, Marc Kudisch, Liz Larsen, Aaron Lazar,
Rick Lyon and Jennifer Barnhart, Victoria Mallory,
Amy Marcs, Dominga Martin, Howard McGillin,
Donna McKechnie, Jessica Molaskey and
John Pizzarelli, Julia Murney, Brian O’Brien,
Nancy Opel, Hal Prince, Lee Roy Reams,
Mary Testa and Zakiya Young.
America’s premier
independent charity
evaluator.
The Actors Fund
Board of Trustees
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Chairman of the Board
Marc Grodman, M.D.
Secretary
Abby Schroeder
Assistant Secretary
John A. Duncan, Jr.
Treasurer
Steve Kalafer
Assistant Treasurer
Philip J. Smith
Vice Chair
Bebe Neuwirth
Vice Chair
Philip S. Birsh
Vice Chair
Joseph P. Benincasa
President and CEO
Alec Baldwin
Annette Bening
Jed W. Bernstein
Jeffrey Bolton
John Breglio
James J. Claffey, Jr.
Nancy Coyne
Merle Debuskey
Rick Elice
The beloved entertainment legend Angela Lansbury
joined auction winner Larry Gervitz for a private
brunch at Bond 45 in New York City.
The Normal Heart
On October 18, The Actors Fund partnered with Friends In
Deed to present the one-night-only 25th Anniversary Staged
Reading of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. Under the
extraordinary producing efforts of Daryl Roth, the cast included
Michael Cerveris, Glenn Close, Santino Fontana, Victor Garber,
Jason Butler Harner, John Benjamin Hickey, Joe Mantello, Jack
McBrayer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Patrick Wilson. A sold-out
audience at The Walter Kerr Theatre enjoyed this truly thrilling
performance, superbly directed by the legendary Joel Grey.
Glenn Close and Daryl Roth.
Janice Reals Ellig
Joyce Gordon
Ken Howard
Anita Jaffe
Kate Edelman
Johnson
Michael Kerker
Stewart F. Lane
Paul Libin
Matthew Loeb
Kristen Madsen
Kevin McCollum
James L. Nederlander
Martha Nelson
Phyllis Newman
Dale C. Olson
A.J. Pocock
Harold Prince
Roberta Reardon
Charlotte St. Martin
Thomas Schumacher
David Steiner
Edward D. Turen
Tom Viola
Honey Waldman
Jomarie Ward
Joseph H. Wender
B.D. Wong
Nick Wyman
George Zuber
www.actorsfund.org
Programs & Services
5
The Actors Fund Residents
Share Their Stories
“I love living in The Aurora*…
It’s the best place I have ever
lived in my life…!”
Fred Baker
The Dorothy Ross
Friedman Residence
(formerly The Aurora)
*The Aurora residence will be
officially renamed in 2011 as The
Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence.
Fred Baker is a “triple threat.” He’s an accomplished actor, writer
and director. As an actor he’s appeared in many Broadway productions (beginning in 1952 when he played a leading role in Mary
Chase’s comedy Bernardine) and as Roy Cohn in the national tour
of Angels in America. As a writer and director, he’s known for chronicling the life of Lenny Bruce in the acclaimed 1971 documentary,
Lenny Bruce Without Tears.
When he returned to New York after his tour with Angels in the
mid-1990s, he was sick due to his HIV diagnosis. The Actors Fund
helped him find temporary housing, and he eventually moved into
The Aurora. Fred was among the first residents when the building
opened in 1996. In 2000, when he developed chronic emphysema,
The Fund helped Fred access a portable oxygen machine and a
scooter for better mobility.
The Colleen Dewhurst Community Room.
Despite these challenges, Fred’s health has stabilized and he is
thriving as a working artist. He plays percussion and sings with the
Barry Harris Jazz and Vocal Workshop (he’s planning a show with
some of the workshop members at The Aurora in February). He’s
publishing his non-fiction writing work regularly online, and he continues his film directing work (most recently he completed a feature
documentary on liberation activist Assata Shakur). Along with his
playwriting group, he’s currently working on a new play about
Marilyn Monroe and Elia Kazan.
Fred has made good use of The Aurora, not just as his home.
He’s used the building in one of his films, and the Colleen Dewhurst
Community Room serves as space for staged readings and cabaret
with fellow residents. “I love living in The Aurora because it’s the
best place I have ever lived in, in my life, except for when I lived
with my family. You know you belong; people know who you are and
what you have done. I will never give this up.”
“The Actors Fund supplies a lifeline to a tremendous amount of
people who have given joy to the world, in terms of great performing
and cultural depth of experience,” he added. “It’s a lifeline to people
who don’t really think of a buck, when they are in the throes of their
creative careers.”
“When I first visited The Schermerhorn and saw the
view, I guess my mouth must’ve dropped to the floor.”
Janine Ullyette
The Schermerhorn
Matteo Vittucci
Janine Ullyette was blessed with a beautiful singing voice.
However, at age 13, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic,
life-threatening disease. She always knew she would sing, despite
the challenges and hardships her illness imposed on her. She studied
and performed in Europe for three years. Back home, she continued
to perform and worked various jobs to afford the therapy needed to
maintain her health.
For 13 years, she lived in a basement apartment with no
windows. “I had to go outside to see what the weather was like.”
In 2005, her health took a severe turn for the worse and she
was hospitalized several times. Working and performing became
very difficult and her living situation grew increasingly unstable. Janine came to The Actors Fund’s Housing Resource Center
for a seminar on affordable housing and learned about The
Schermerhorn. “When I first visited and saw the view, I guess my
mouth must’ve dropped to the floor.” Now it’s home sweet home.
Janine lives on the sixth floor in an affordable, light-filled apartment
with an expansive view of the Verrazano Bridge.
These days, besides singing, she is part of a hula group,
Gracious Ladies, organizes the cystic fibrosis benefit concert,
which she created seven years ago, held annually at St. Peter’s
Church in New York City and makes each day count.
Born the youngest of four boys in Utica, New York, Matteo
Vittucci attended the agricultural school at Cornell but he spent
most of his time on the arts campus. This led him to New York
City in the 1930s and his first professional job as a dancer in a
Metropolitan Opera production of Carmen. He studied 11 years
at the preeminent Jacob’s Pillow, followed by 13 years with India’s
premiere dance training institute Kalakshetra.
His prestigious dance career took him around the world and
introduced him to his late wife, dancer Carola Goya. In 2000, they
were honored by the Dance Heritage Coalition as two of “America’s
100 Irreplaceable Dance Treasures,” joining such illustrious names
as Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Throughout his career, Matteo knew of The Actors Fund, but
never realized they were there for dancers as well. After leaving his
longtime home on West 71st Street, he lived at an assisted living
facility on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It was here he learned
that, as a career dancer, he met the admission criteria for
The Lillian Booth Home.
Matteo was thrilled to join others who shared an artistic
background when he moved in two years ago. With a smile,
he says, “The Home needs more dancers!”
“I was happy to learn, as
a dancer, I was eligible
for The Home.”
The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
“It was like I had hit the jackpot!”
Bruce Ward
The Actors Fund Housing Resource Center
Like many actors, Bruce Ward moved to New York City after
graduation, living in a series of sublets and shares. During the 1980s,
he lived in a fifth-floor walk-up in Hell’s Kitchen, at that time a
relatively affordable, if crime-filled and unsafe area of the city.
After leaving the city for a 10 year “hiatus,” Bruce returned and
found himself back in Hell’s Kitchen, but this time his rent was $1,800
per month. His finances were almost depleted and he realized if something didn’t change soon, he would have to leave the city for good.
An Actors Fund Housing Resource seminar taught him how to
apply for 80/20* affordable housing opportunities in the city. After
some rejections, he was accepted at the Caledonia in the heart of
Chelsea. “It was like I had hit the jackpot,” he said. The Caledonia’s
amenities include a roof-top deck, concierge service and a gym
discount. Most important, it’s affordable for Bruce as an artist.
Bruce now teaches at a community college and is also a playwright.
Thanks to The Fund, and Bruce’s persistence, organization, and
luck, he’s found a home, and he’s staying put. “As long as I am a
Manhattanite, the only way I will leave my current situation is if
I am carried out, feet first. And that won’t be for a long, long time!”
*The
80/20 Program, sponsored by the
New York State Housing Finance Agency,
the New York City Housing Development
Corporation (HDC) and the New York City
Department of Housing Preservation and
Development (HPD), uses tax-exempt
bonds to create affordable housing for
low-income tenants in generally desirable
locations throughout the city. The use of
tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of large residential buildings in the
city greatly reduces costs. In exchange for
the low-cost financing, 20% of the apartment units are reserved for low-income
tenants earning no more than 50% of area
median income.
Source: NYC Department of Housing,
Development and Preservation
Programs & Services
6
“The Actors Fund made a difference in my life. Today, two years later, my health
has improved, financial stress has begun to leave me, and I am focusing more
on my career endeavors and my life has improved. Thank you all, very much!”
Keith is a 38 year old actor, screenwriter, voiceover artist and
comedian, originally from Texas. He was living near downtown
Los Angeles, in a “marvelous old building from 1929,” he said.
Rumored to be Carole Lombard’s former apartment, it was very
expensive for his budget as an artist.
Recently, he was faced with serious health issues affecting
his ability to work. The Fund helped him with job seeking, financial
aid and counseling. Two years ago, when the stresses around his
illness became too much, he had the opportunity to move into
The Palm View.
Keith’s apartment faces north, and from his balcony he looks out
on the blue skies of the Hollywood Hills, where he enjoys dinner
and sometimes writing outdoors “in the morning when the air is cool
and The Strip is quiet,” he said. He loves Tuesday morning breakfasts in The Palm View’s commons room, and he feels right at home
in the garden in the back of the building. “Seeing flowers grow that
another resident and I planted a few weeks ago reminds me of
growing up in Texas,” he said.
Keith also loves his neighborhood. “The Sunset Strip is a block
away to the north and Santa Monica Boulevard is a block to the
south. The dichotomy of both streets is fantastic. It’s a very walk-able
neighborhood, with great access to public transportation, and I’ve
gotten to know several of the neighbors in the area.” Keith often
walks a few short blocks to The Comedy Store, where he is a
regular performer.
Keith stressed the importance of The Fund’s services, noting that
they are there if you lose your job, your health fails, or there is no
one to talk to about the intricacies and stresses of life. “Having a
dedicated service to actors and people in the entertainment industry
is a true godsend, an intervention on a higher level that cannot be
merely calculated by budgeting wants or needs.”
Keith is thriving and thankful in his new home. “The Actors Fund
made a difference in my life. Today, two years later, my health has
improved, financial stress has begun to leave me, and I am focusing
more on my career endeavors and my life has improved. Thank you
all, very much!”
“My creativity has also benefited greatly from the fantastic
environment that Thomas Pileggi [Activities Coordinator] and
The Aurora staff provide on the 2nd floor. The Colleen Dewhurst
Community Room has become a second home for me.” Raissa began
to use The Dewhurst two years ago for a small, weekly scene study
group she started with friends, eventually blossoming into their own
theater company. The Active Theater recently rehearsed their fourth
production, Venus Flytrap, directed by 2010 Tony nominee Marcia
Milgrom Dodge, at The Aurora’s Community Room.
Raissa also gets a real sense of community from living at The
Aurora. “One of my dearest friends lives just a few floors away.
We can meet on the gorgeous rooftop garden for coffee,
overlooking the Hudson no less!”
Though she’s had her ups and downs in the struggle to survive
as an actor in New York, Raissa notes “The Aurora affords me the
opportunity to live in a safe, secure, and beautiful environment
with a wonderful staff and lovely creative neighbors, in a part of
Manhattan (convenient to auditions, Broadway shows, Lincoln
Center, etc.) I would never be able to afford without the help
of The Actors Fund.”
“People should support The Fund because it really does such
a beautiful thing,” she said. “It supports artists, nurtures and
protects them, feeds and clothes them when times are tough
(which they inevitably are at one point or another in every
artist’s career, no matter how successful) and in a city where
just surviving can be tough.”
Prime seats (pending availability)
for Broadway’s hottest shows!
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“My creativity has also benefited
greatly from the fantastic environment that Thomas Pileggi and
The Aurora* staff provide!”
Raissa Dorff is an actress and singer, and a resident of
The Aurora for the past ten years. She moved in originally
as a sublet, and when the spot became available, she qualified
for the apartment as a low income performing artist.
She’s especially grateful that The Fund’s Al Hirschfeld Free
Health Clinic is located right in her building. “The Clinic was a
godsend for me for years while I was un- or underinsured. I received
the best and most empathetic
care from Dr. Spears [Dr. Jim
Spears, M.D., Medical Director] and everyone at The Clinic.
When I faced a health crisis
in 2002, and had temporary
Medicaid, The Clinic provided
references to other care facilities where I was able to go until
the issues were resolved. In fact
once I had insurance, I was sorry
to have to go elsewhere! I’d
become so attached to The Clinic
Dr. Jim Spears, Medical Director of
The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, and their lovely and caring staff!”
Call 800.FUNDTIX, ext. 182
www.actorsfund.org/FUNDTIX
Keith Garsee
Palm View
Raissa Dorff
The Dorothy Ross
Friedman Residence
(formerly The Aurora)
*The Aurora residence will be
officially renamed in 2011 as The
Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence.
with a patient.
“I’m impressed by the staff, they are truly caring.”
A.J. Pocock was born in Shanghai, China then raised in
Philadelphia. After serving in World War II, he landed at the
Hedgerow Theater in rural Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s oldest
repertory companies. That led to his move to New York City and
the start of a long career directing and producing some of the
largest live industrial shows of the time.
“I worked regularly around the country for the top automakers —
Buick, GMC, Pontiac and Honda,” A.J. shares. He went on to
produce such high-profile events as the Emmy Awards and the
“Ronald Reagan for President Announcement.”
A life-long supporter of the arts, A.J. held the esteemed
position of Shepherd for the historic Lambs Club and is a twentyyear Trustee of The Actors Fund. “I was aware of The Home
many years before becoming involved as a Trustee, as I did many
fundraisers for The Actors Fund as an actor, director and producer.”
But once A.J. became an active Trustee, he learned about how
much more The Home has to offer. Impressed by the “truly caring”
staff, A.J. and his wife, Broadway actress Charlotte Fairchild (a beautiful singer at The Home’s weekly piano sing-alongs), are both happy
to be enjoying their later years at The Home.
A.J. Pocock
The Lillian Booth
Actors Home
“Every actor friend is blown away by the theatre and the
rehearsal space. I could never afford to live in this neighborhood
if I wasn’t in this building.”
Darlene Hope was rooming in a brownstone with a friend in
Brooklyn’s Bedford Styvesant neighborhood. It wasn’t the best
neighborhood, and traveling late at night to and from rehearsals
was dangerous for the singer / actor. It was time to make a change,
but affording it was another story.
At an audition at Actors’ Equity, she noticed a poster for The
Schermerhorn. She immediately applied and, in time, was accepted.
Darlene was especially drawn to the fact that it’s a green building.
(The Schermerhorn features a high efficiency boiler, a channel glass
exterior wall fabricated with a high percentage of post-consumer
waste glass and a second floor “green roof” terrace). “I was excited
to have an opportunity to live this green lifestyle.”
Darlene loves her new home, and her neighborhood. “The
amenities are unbelievable. Every actor friend is blown away by
the theatre and the rehearsal space. I could never afford to live in
this neighborhood if I wasn’t in this building.”
Before, Darlene couldn’t warm up for early auditions without
disturbing her neighbors. Now she can go down to the performance
space in her PJs. “You can’t beat that with a stick,” she said. Since
living at The Schermerhorn, Darlene continues to thrive as an artist.
She recently booked a production of Hair near her family in Orlando,
an American Express commercial and is working on a new play.
Darlene Hope
The Schermerhorn