By Justin HAGER

More than a dozen award-winning film and television stars, including Danny Glover, Edward James Olmos, Josefina Lopez, Ben Guillory, Michelle Krusiec, Kate Linder and Joe Spano, joined with representatives of more than 40 small community theatres and six theatre leagues from across California at a press conference Wednesday morning to demand that the legislature do its part to save small performing arts venues and promote equitable opportunities for performers from marginalized backgrounds and identities. Specifically, they want State Senator Anthony Portantino, to release SB 805, the Save the Performing Arts Act of 2021, from the Senate Appropriations committee suspense file. The bill, authored by Senator Susan Rubio would create state infrastructure and funding streams to support local performing arts organizations, venues and performers that tell the diverse stories of the people of California.

Many of the celebrities in the coalition spoke of the role of community theatre in amplifying the voices, visibility and stories of marginalized people.

“Theatre is the way we get justice,” said Emmy award-winning actress and CASA 0101 Theatre founding artistic and director Josefina López. “On stage [marginalized people] get to be the protagonists, we get to be the heroes of our own stories.”

Senator Rubio echoed this message.

“Let’s not forget the women’s suffrage movement, when they used theatre to reach out to wealthy women to engage them; let’s not forget the civil rights movement, when they used theatre and strong imagery of the arts to fight for justice,” she said.

In an interview with Michelle Krusiec, the Golden Horse nominee (the Chinese language equivalent of the Oscars®) described the importance of representation and the need for California to step up and support marginalized communities.

“I never saw myself in culture or mainstream television and, when I did, I saw a stereotyped version of myself. If you are looking to see yourself in the world and you can’t find it, you get lost. For me, going to a theatre and seeing someone like John Leguizamo tell his very ethnic story made me realize that I can talk about my ethnicity in this way … I would ask that Chairman Portantino consider just how much SB 805 will truly make a difference for so many people, many of whom are low income. He cannot underestimate that power because for me, without theatre, I wouldn’t have had the dreams that have brought me where I am today.

Television and stage actress Kirsten Vangsness spoke of the financial impact of local community theatres on her personal life and her community.

“Community theatre saved me,” said Vangsness. “It was community theatre leaders who helped me find a job when I was living out of my car, theatre teachers who helped me realize that I could be more and taught me skills to do more.”

She continued, “And when I joined together with members of our local theatre community to make a movie, we sent $1.2 million back into the local economy. All of that was thanks to a 48-seat theatre.”

Emmy and SAG award winner French Stewart echoed the importance of theatre to California’s economy.

“Theatre is like travel, it broadens the mind,” he said, “but SB 805 isn’t just about the theatre, its about investing in the restaurant next to the theatre and the bar down the street … the places where people want to go out, have dinner, grab a drink and disagree about what they just saw.”

And Vanessa Stewart, the co-artistic director of the Sacred Fools Theatre Company, underscored the potential economic impact.

“If SB 805 doesn’t pass, then the small incubator theatres will go away,” she said. “Theatres that give voice to marginalized communities will go away … if SB 805 does pass, then thousands of jobs will be created.”

It was no surprise, however, that Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe Award winner Edward James Olmos offered perhaps the most succinct pleas for the bill.

“If it was not for small theatre, I would not be standing here today,” said Olmos. “SB 805 is way overdue. We shouldn’t have to ask for it.”

SB 805 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee today, Thursday, May 20. Anyone who would like to express support or opposition for the bill may contact Senator Portantino’s Capitol office at (916) 651-4025 or his Glendale District office at (818) 409-0400 or via email at senator.portantino@sen.ca.gov