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WEBINAR: Coronavirus Preparedness for Theatres

By Corinna Schulenburg posted 03-05-2020 13:38

  

Coronavirus Preparedness Webinar from Theatre Communications Group on Vimeo.

TCG is closely tracking the coronavirus to ensure the theatre field has access to the resources needed to navigate the immediate and longer-term impacts of an outbreak. We encourage theatres to read this list of resources, and to view the Coronavirus Preparedness Webinar archived above, which originally aired on Friday, March 6, from 1-2pm ET.

The Coronavirus Preparedness Webinar provided a holistic take on preparedness for theatres, including: a deeper understanding of the virus from an epidemiologist's perspective; general preparedness strategies; how to forecast budget shifts should productions be cancelled; how to navigate insurance; and how the theatre field might take collective action to weather this potential crisis. We'll also committed to solidarity and sensitivity toward those most impacted by the outbreak.

The presenters included:

OSF_Paul_Christy.jpegPaul Christy, (he/him/his), joined Oregon Shakespeare Festival as acting executive director at the beginning of 2019 and works to help guide the transition through this pivotal period at one of the country’s great repertory theatres. He's no stranger to the Festival: he's been enjoying OSF performances for 40 years on frequent family visits with his wife, Teresina. In his role as Acting Executive Director at OSF, Paul oversees the administrative functions of OSF, including finance, HR, facilities, safety & security, information technology, development and marketing.  Paul retired from the federal government as an economist and senior executive with seven federal agencies in both the Executive and Legislative Branches in Washington, DC. He was instrumental in establishing risk management at the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he served as Chief Information Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Since retiring to the Rogue Valley, Paul has enjoyed teaching history courses at SOU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and throughout the Rogue Valley. He is a native of Buffalo, New York, and received degrees from the University of Dayton, Ohio, and the University of Connecticut.

Duquette_Norm.jpgNormand Duquette is the Senior Vice President of Broking and Team Lead for RISCO’s Professional division in East Providence, RI. He negotiates and develops terms, conditions, and pricing, for Directors and Officers Liability, Fiduciary Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Commercial Crime, Kidnap, Ransom & Extortion (KRE), Cyber and Errors & Omissions Insurance. Normand has over ten years’ insurance experience, working both as an Insurance Carrier Underwriter and Insurance Producer/Broker. Normand is active in the Professional Lines space as a member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society. He maintains active coverage of existing clients through due diligence, including the monitoring of industry reports, press releases and related market events. Starkweather & Shepley is a Business Affiliate of TCG. For more information on our Theatre & Entertainment program, please visit S&S Theatre Risks.


Charlie-Nolan.jpgCharles (Charlie) Nolan, M.D., is a UW clinical professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, with research interests in the clinical epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) locally, nationally and internationally. Dr. Nolan worked in public health in Seattle and internationally for 30 years, focusing on the epidemiology, prevention and control of communicable diseases, especially TB. During his tenure at Seattle Public Health, Dr. Nolan participated in the teaching and training programs of the UW School of Medicine and the UW School of Public Health, where he is a clinical professor of medicine. He is a past chair of the Health and Human Services Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis, and past president of the board of trustees of the International Union-North American Chapter. He has been a member of the World Health Organization Green Light Committee for access to second-line anti-tuberculosis medications, and, from 2004–09, he provided oversight to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on the CREATE Project, a $50 million grant to an international consortium that aimed to improve the control of TB and HIV/AIDS in South Africa, Zambia and Brazil. Charlie is a past member of the Board of Trustees of A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle and a current Board member of the Seattle Art Museum.

Mollie.jpgMollie Quinlan-Hayes is the Deputy Director for Programs, Accessibility Coordinator and ArtsReady Director, South Arts, Atlanta, GA.  Mollie works with the South Arts board, member state arts agencies and other partners to advance Southern vitality through the arts. She oversees South Arts’ programs and helps to guide strategic planning and evaluation. She is director of South Arts’ national initiative ArtsReady, and served as co-chair of the Steering Committee of the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response. She has been a speaker/panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous state arts councils. Mollie was a founding board member of Alliance for Audience/ShowUp.com, and of ARTability/Accessing Arizona’s Arts. She is a facilitator/consultant in strategic planning and participation-building, has been a professional audio describer, and is trained in Critical Response.


StefanPetrella.jpgStefan Petrella is Director of Business Development and Theatre & Entertainment Practice Group leader for Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. Stefan specializes in theatres & performing arts, as well as the entertainment industry. He comes from an entertainment background based out of New York City working on touring productions. He joined the firm in 2014 and is a graduate of Seton Hall University. Stefan can be contacted at spetrella@starshep.com. Starkweather & Shepley is a Business Affiliate of TCG. For more information on our Theatre & Entertainment program, please visit S&S Theatre Risks.




Greg_Reiner.pngGreg Reiner joined the National Endowment for the Arts as the director of theater and musical theater starting in September 2015. Reiner manages NEA grantmaking in theater and musical theater and represents the agency to the field. Most recently, Reiner was executive director of Classic Stage Company in New York City, where he launched CSC’s Musical Theater Initiative, the organization’s largest fundraising campaign, and implemented new education programs such as a Teen Council and a Shakespeare scene and monologue competition. Prior to that, Reiner was founding executive director of Tectonic Theater Project in New York City, where he received a Tony nomination for Best Play as one of the producers of 33 Variations. At Tectonic, Reiner also designed and managed the simultaneous opening of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later in 150 theaters in all 50 states, DC, and eight countries, on the same night, with livestreaming and social media outreach. Reiner has also served as managing director at The Actors’ Gang in Culver City, California, and at the Shakespeare Festival/LA.

TCG staff presenting and facilitating during the webinar include:

Adrian Budhu is the Deputy Director & Chief Operating Officer, Theatre Communications Group. Adrian comes to TCG after five years at The Theater Offensive (TTO), an LGBTQ not-for-profit arts organization in Boston, MA. The strategies he implemented there have strengthened The Theater Offensive’s brand on a national scale, increased its profile in the community, broadened its support base, and built capacity and resources for its sustainability – retiring the organization’s debt, growing revenue from $0.5 million in 2011 to $1.3+ million in 2016, and building cash reserves. Other professional experience includes: GLBTQ Domestic Violence Project, XAMOnline.com, Metro Boston Newspaper, and John Hancock Financial. Adrian lives in New York City with his fiancé Chris, a surgical resident at Mt. Sinai Hospital, and Boston terrier named Jack. He’s an avid runner and completed numerous marathons fundraising over $200K to benefit LGBTQ youth, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, homeless people, survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and victims of domestic abuse. Adrian has won numerous awards for his leadership and activism. His prior affiliations include: the Boston Cultural Change Network (committed to collective action for social justice through Arts & Culture), the Boston Creates Leadership Council, where he advised and helped shepherd Boston's cultural plan into implementation; TCG’s Board of Directors (from which he has since resigned); and Point Foundation’s National Board of Directors.

Teresa Eyring joined TCG in March 2007. Prior to arriving at TCG, Eyring spent more than twenty years as an executive in theatres around the U.S. Positions included: managing director of the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis from 1999-2007; managing director of the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia from 1994-1999; and assistant executive director of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis from 1989-1993. She began her theatre career as director of development for the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., in 1983. She holds a B.A. in international relations from Stanford University and an M.F.A. in theatre administration from Yale School of Drama. Eyring is currently active as an executive committee member of the Performing Arts Alliance, chair of the follow-up process for the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention, board member of The Actors Fund and was previously a member of the Tony Awards nominating committee.

Elena__3_.jpgElena Chang is the director of equity, diversity & inclusion initiatives at TCG. Her work models equity and builds community through a cross-departmental, community-centered approach to ensure that TCG’s EDI values are present both internally and externally. Her external work includes the EDI Institute, Legacy Leaders of Color Video Project, the National Conference’s At the Intersections arc, and a renewed programmatic focus on serving theatres of color. Prior to joining TCG, Chang served program director of the Asian American Arts Alliance, where she was responsible for the development, implementation, and management of all artist-focused programs. Under her leadership, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) and Asian Pride Project also launched a multilingual national campaign to promote awareness of acceptance of LGBTQ Asian Americans, South Asians, Southeast Asians, Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and their family members. Her advocacy work has been recognized at the White House through the Champions of Change Initiative.
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