The following organizations are those whom Russ supports by friendship, time, and money:
Performing Arts
Theatre Bay Area serves more than 300 member theatre companies and 2,900 individual members in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. They provide services to their members, however, they are not a presenting organization nor a casting agency.
TBA also publishes Theatre Bay Area magazine, operates TIX Bay Area (the half-price ticket booth at Union Square in San Francisco), administers the Mary Mason Lemonade Fund for critically ill theatre workers, and conducts the annual General Auditions. TBA also administers the CA$H grant program for artists and small companies.
42nd Street Moon, based in San Francisco, is one of
only four theatre groups in the nation whose mission
is to present concert performances of classic
Broadway musicals of the 1920s through the 1970s.
After Ian Marshall Fisher’s “Discover the Lost
Musicals” series in London, 42nd Street Moon is the
next oldest, worldwide, of these companies devoted
to the preservation and performance of “lost”
musical theater in concert. They have presented the
American premieres of lost musicals such as Jerome
Kern’s “Three Sisters”, which was written in 1934
but never produced until their 1995 season –
sixty-one years later! Since 1993, the organization
has mounted five productions every year, and serves
a loyal constituency.
42nd Street Moon bases its artistic mission on the premise that Broadway in
its heyday was an extraordinarily vital time artistically, existing in the rare
confluence of circumstances that produced a culture blossoming. The songs that
came out of this golden age are priceless and deeply woven into American
culture. It is essential to 42nd Street Moon’s mission to preserve these
seminal works, to produce them for the public in their original context, and to
perform them with the confident and able interpretation of capably trained (and
favorably compensated) actors.
This 6-day, 5-night intensive theatre training congress is specially designed for young actors between the ages of 10-18 years old who are interested in the performing arts. An accomplished group of Instructors and Counselors, remarkable Master Class Teachers, and the brightest, most talented Bay Area students come together for an unforgettable theatre experience!
New Conservatory Theatre Center of San Francisco
The New Conservatory Theatre Center of San Francisco, established in 1981, is a professional theatre arts school and performing arts complex. The Theatre Arts School programs enhance the creative, social, and intellectual development of students ages 6-17. The Theatre Center is dedicated to the presentation and production of quality arts entertainment for diverse audiences of all ages. The New Conservatory Theatre Center offers professional classes and productions to participants of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, regardless of sexual orientation, in a supportive and challenging artistic environment. The New Conservatory Theatre Center encourages individual responsibility and human understanding. Through their work, they strive to make positive contributions to enrich the cultural and educational well-being of our world.
Praised by the New York Times for its "precise, pure, and deeply felt singing," and by the Los Angeles Times for its "luxurious perfection," Chanticleer has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music. With its seamless blend of twelve male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass, the ensemble has earned international renown as "an orchestra of voices."
Named for the "clear-singing" rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales,
Chanticleer was founded in 1978. Their long-standing commitment to
developing the choral repertoire has led the group to commission works from an
ever-growing list of important composers.
Chanticleer is the recipient of major grants from The National Endowment for the
Arts, the California Arts Council, The James Irvine Foundation, The William &
Flora Hewlett Foundation, The William Randolph Hearst Foundation, and the City
of San Francisco. With the help of foundation and corporate support, the group
brings the gift of singing to young people by conducting artist-in-the-schools
residencies both on tour and in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chanticleer's
activities as a not-for-profit corporation are supported by its administrative
staff and Board of Trustees.
Social Services
Adolescent Counseling Services
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) is a nonprofit agency that has been helping teens and families on the Peninsula for more than 25 years. Founded in 1975, Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) addresses the emotional and developmental needs of adolescents and their families in a changing society. ACS provides a range of services including Caravan House, a group home for teenage girls, counseling at area secondary schools, and outpatient substance abuse treatment.
Over the years, ACS has reached more than 16,000 teens and their family members from Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. Their services are provided at little or no cost to clients, who represent diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds; 50% represent ethnic minorities and 40% represent low-income families.
Outlet supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth. Outlet successfully increases youth confidence, builds personal assets, and creates healthier communities.
Outlet is the only program of its kind on the Peninsula providing support,
leadership development, outreach and education for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer and questioning youth ages 13-18.
The program is a lifeline for hundreds of youth each year as they struggle with
feelings of isolation, homophobia, and harassment. Outlet is a safe, accepting,
and confidential place for LGBTQQ youth to express themselves, develop their
strengths, and help improve their communities.
Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation
The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation (REAF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Arts/AIDS organization dedicated to raising funds for AIDS service organizations in the Bay Area through the production of quality entertainment programs. REAF was founded by two mothers, Barbara Richmond and Peggy Ermet, who lost their only sons to AIDS as a way to honor their sons’ memories and help alleviate the suffering of all the other sons and daughters living with HIV and AIDS. REAF began as a wholly volunteer-run agency, partnering with a single agency to produce a fundraising event called Help is on the Way: San Francisco Cares. Today, REAF still relies on a mostly volunteer Board and staff. Help is on the Way has become the Bay Area’s largest annual AIDS benefit concert and one of the Bay Area’s primary sources of funding for many local AIDS service agencies.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American Theatre community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $100 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.
The Mission of BC/EFA is to mobilize the unique abilities within the
entertainment industry to mitigate
the suffering of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. To achieve this BC/EFA will:
* Ensure direct support to individuals in the entertainment industry affected by
HIV/AIDS;
* Provide assistance to organizations nationwide that directly serve others
affected by HIV/AIDS;
* Promote awareness about AIDS;
* Provide assistance to support advocacy that affects public policy, education
for the prevention and research for a cure for HIV/AIDS; and
* Generate the funds to fulfill the mission and achieve these goals.
