Democrats fret it could be curtains for local theaters without federal funds
Professional nonprofit theaters haven’t recovered from the Covid pandemic, with dozens of stages set to shutter. Democrats are introducing legislation that could keep the curtains from closing.
Four years after it began, Covid-19 is in the rearview mirror for millions of people and hundreds of businesses across the U.S. — but not for some theaters that require federal funding, according to some Democratic lawmakers.
Professional nonprofit theaters haven’t recovered from the pandemic, with dozens of stages set to shutter around the country without urgent infusions of cash. Now, a group of Democrats in Congress says "the show must go on" and is introducing legislation that could keep the curtains from closing.
The Supporting Theater and the Arts to Galvanize the Economy Act — or STAGE Act — would allocate $1 billion annually to invest in the industry, helping community theaters pay rent, employ artists and attract new audiences.
Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., are interviewed at the Capitol about legislation to fund theaters on April 11.Frank Thorp V / NBC News“We have people in all of our communities, red state or blue state, that are completely committed to making that local theater vital,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said in an interview this month.
During National Theater Week, Welch, along with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., met with Hollywood stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Danai Gurira at the Capitol to swell support for the bill.
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