A host of Ars Nova alums, including Rachel Chavkin, Lilli Cooper, and members of Freestyle Love Supreme, will show their support for the Off-Broadway theatre company during its upcoming telethon. The 24-hour live stream will feature over 100 artists celebrating Ars Nova’s past and present, while raising funds to help support the organization through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
The Ars Nova Forever Telethon will begin at 6 PM ET June 12 and run continuously through 6 PM June 13. You can view it here.
READ: How Jason Eagan Made Ars Nova a Hotbed of Boundary-Pushing Theatre
Additional featured artists include John Early, Sakina Jaffrey, Dave Malloy, Isaac Oliver, Larry Owens, Ashley Park, The Story Pirates, Jason Tam, and Natalie Walker. Highlights include deep dives into the worlds of Ars Nova shows KPOP and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812; a special edition of Showgasm, Ars Nova’s signature variety-show-meets-party; the world premiere of Isaac Oliver’s Lonely Quarantine; a late-night dance party; and a family-friendly Saturday morning special.
Additional guests and performances will be announced soon, with a full schedule to be released June 9.
“When Ars Nova made the big commitment back in March to keep paying our artists and staff throughout this necessary closure, we knew it would take an even bigger idea to pull it off," says Ars Nova Founding Artistic Director Jason Eagan. "We’ve been missing our community so much while working from home, so when the slightly insane idea for a 24 hour-telethon arose, we all perked up, as it seems like the perfect way to connect with a slew of our artists and audiences all at once—and we’ve always loved a challenge! New York City needs culture to thrive so we hope folks will rally around this campaign and make sure Ars Nova can flourish into the future.”
