For Immediate Release: September 5, 2022
Contact: Steve Moyer (SB 1116 Coalition, Public Relations), (818) 337-9987;
moyerpr@earthlink.net ; @stevemoyerpr
Lerna Shirinian (Office of Senator Portantino), (818) 409-0400

Arts Advocates to Join Senator Portantino to Urge Governor to Sign SB 1116

Pasadena, CA – California legislators, artist labor unions, performing arts employers, arts advocates, and Hollywood stars will be come together during a press conference to urge Governor Gavin Newsom to invest in arts jobs and prevent the demise of more non-profit performing arts organizations by signing Senate Bill 1116 into law. SB 1116, which was authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino to establish the Equitable Payroll Fund for the nonprofit arts sector, passed out of both houses of the Legislature and is heading to the Governor’s desk for signature.

WHEN: Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Boston Court Theatre Main Stage; 70 North Mentor Avenue (at Boston Court Street); Pasadena, CA 91106

WHO:
– State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D-Burbank), Author of SB 1116
– State Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Co-Author of SB 1116
– Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (California’s 46th Assembly District) Co-Author of SB 1116
– Kate Shindle, President, Actors’ Equity Association, Co-Sponsor of SB 1116
– Martha Demson, President, Theatre Producers of Southern California/Co-Sponsor of SB 1116 and Artistic Director of Open Fist Theatre Company
– Julie Baker, Executive Director, California Arts Advocates
– Gustavo Herrera, CEO, Arts For LA
– Josephina López, Humanitas Prize-winning screenwriter and renowned playwright (Real Women Have Curves), Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater
– Kate Burton, Daytime Emmy Award Winner, ABC Afterschool Specials – “Notes for My Daughter;” Three Time Primetime Emmy Award-Nominated Actress (Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy); Two Time Tony Award-Nominated Lead Actress (The Constant Wife, 2002; Hedda Gabler, 2002) and Tony Award-Nominated Featured Actress (The Elephant Man, 2002); Made her Broadway debut in Present Laughter in 1982; Co-Starred opposite her father, Richard Burton, in the critically acclaimed CBS miniseries, Ellis Island)
– Kirsten Vangsness, Criminal Minds franchise, Shelf Life, Pretty the Series, longtime member of Theatre of NOTE.
– Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced, Barbershop, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)

The press conference will include special video messages from French Stewart (Third Rock From The Sun), Vanessa Claire Stewart (Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara) and Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Frida, Magnolia). The event will be hosted by Jessica Kubzansky, Artistic Director of Boston Court Theatre, and Emceed by Cheryl Rizzo, Managing Director of Boston Court Theatre. The Stewarts’ video is entitled, #SB116, The Musical!

Simultaneously during the press conference in Southern California at Boston Court Theatre on September 8, 2022, a press conference will be held in Northern California at North Coast Repertory Company in Eureka emceed by Calder Johnson, the company’s Managing Artistic Director. Speakers will include: Cynthia Martells (Tony Award-Nominated for Two Trains Running, 1992); Julie Fulkerson, Former Humboldt County Supervisor and Co-Producer of Trinidad Bay Art and Music Festival; Brenda Perez of Centro del Pueblo Humboldt; Jackie Dandeneau, Founder and Executive Director of Arcata Playhouse/Playhouse Arts; Cleo DeOrio, Artistic Producing Director, Ferndale Repertory Theater; Carol Ryder, Artistic Director of Humboldt Light Opera Company; and Alyssa Hughlett, Managing Director of Dell’Arte International in Blue Lake.

Press Check-In for the press conference at Boston Court Theatre in Pasadena will begin at 9:15 A.M. One-on-one interviews will take place immediately following the press conference. Face masks must be worn inside Boston Court Theatre at all times.

To learn more about SB 1116, please visit: https://equitablepayrollfund.org/ Social media: on Facebook @TheatreProdSoCA, on Twitter @TheatreProdSoCA and on Instagram @TheatreProducersofSoCal Hashtags: #SB1116, #SupportSmallStages, #JobsEquityCommunity, BIPOCAccess

The 107 Organizations in Support of SB 1116 are:
24th Street Theatre, 5-Star Theatricals, Association of California Symphony Orchestras, Actors’ Equity Association, Airedanse Fitness & Arts, Alliance of Desert Theatres, American Guild of Musical Artists, Arts for LA, American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, Artspace Inc. (Center Stage), Ballet 22, BATS Improv, Boston Court Theatre, Box Tales Theatre Company, California Labor Federation, California Forward Arts Action Fund, Californians for the Arts, CASA 0101 Theater, Celebration Theatre, Central West Ballet, Coin and Ghost, Chance Theater, City Garage, City of Blue Lake, City of Ferndale, City of West Hollywood, Claremont Chamber of Commerce, Dell Arte International, Deming Casting, Dezart Ensemble Theater Company, DramaDogs, A Theater Company, Dramatic Women, East West Players, El Teatro Campesino, Ensemble Studio Theater – LA, Evidence Room Theatre Project, Folsom Lake Symphony, IAMA Theatre Company, Imrov Theatre, Initiative for New & Reimagined Work, Ink People, International Theatre Company, Lineage Performing Arts Center, Lobero Theatre Foundation, Moving Arts (Acme Performance Group), New Conservatory Theatre Center, New LA Repertory Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Ojai Playwrights Conference, OMGArtplus (International Society of Performing Arts), Open Fist Theatre Company, Opera Santa Barbara, Ophelia’s Jump Productions, Out of the Box Theatre Company, Palm Springs Dance Project, Palm Springs International Piano Competition, Playhouse Arts, Playwrights Arena, The Producing Unit, Redwood Curtain, Resurrection Theatre, Road Theatre Company, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Rogue Machine Theatre, Roustabout Theater, Sacramento Comedy Spot, Sacred Fools Theatre Company, San Jose Arts Advocates, Santa Barbara Festival Ballet, Santa Barbara French Festival, Santa Barbara Reader’s Theater, Sierra Madre Playhouse, Sixth Street Playhouse, Skylight Theater, Solo Opera, Teatro Mascara Magica, Teatro Vision, The Ensemble Shakespeare Theater Company, The Fountain Theatre, The Ghost Road Company, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, The New American Theatre, Theater Bay Area, Theatre Unleashed, Theatre West, Townies Inc., Theatrical Producers of Southern California, Valley Opera & Performing Arts, Van Horn Consulting, Victory Theatre Company, Westside Council, Westside Council Chambers of Commerce, Ebony Repertory Theatre, The Geffen Playhouse, Centre Theatre Group which includes The Mark Taper Forum, The Ahmanson Theatre and The Kirk Douglas Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Father Greg Boyle, Founder of Homeboy Industries.