“I had arrived in New York, where I made my professional debuts at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and finally, the Metropolitan Opera, as a featured player in this season’s opera Porgy and Bess.
And then, COVID-19 hit.
The New York City performing arts community was devastated. If we don’t work, we don’t get paid. With all New York City theatres, performing arts spaces, and productions being shut down indefinitely, the city began to empty out due to unemployment, and a lack of resources available to artists. Of all the people in my neighborhood whom I knew from the arts world, only a few of us are left.”
“When Actors’ Equity sent me an email including a directory of resources for unemployed artists, I noticed the interest-free loans on offer from the Hebrew Free Loan Society. At first, it seemed too good to be true. But the more I researched, the more I realized that with the help of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, I would be able to afford a way to work on my career, even if the Met stage was temporarily closed.
Not being able to sing with others is like having a piece of my identity taken away. Without HFLS, I feel as if my sense of purpose would have been lost entirely.
Thanks to my loan, I was able to support myself and build my career even after the city decided to shut down live performances. A group of performers have been using Zoom, and my HFLS loan enabled me to get the lighting and studio microphones. Without the help of HFLS, I would not have been able to afford the equipment to keep performing, and stay in touch with opera audiences
As I wait for live opera performances to resume, I am confident that I will be returning to the stage with more valuable and purposeful experiences, thanks to the help I have received from HFLS.
“Thanks to my loan, I was able to build my opera career even after the city decided to shut down live performances.”
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