Over 200 American theatre writers urge Biden/Harris administration to support the arts in massive letter writing campaign

A nationwide letter writing campaign has been organised by Be An #ArtsHero, in partnership with The Dramatists Guild of America, pleading the Biden/Harris administration to prioritise commitment to the arts.

The Arts & Culture industry brings in a massive $877 billion in value to the U.S. economy, providing 5.1 million American jobs. Currently, 2.7 million Arts Workers are unemployed due to the economic devastation wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of America’s most esteemed playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists have penned their own messages as part of the ‘Dear Mr President and Madam Vice President’ campaign, which are now being sent en masse to kick off Be An #ArtsHero’s Arts Workers Unite: 100 Days of Art and Activism. 

Among other priorities, the letters urge the establishment of the Secretary of Arts & Culture and vow to serve President Biden’s mission to “build back better” and “heal the soul of America.”

Those participating in the letter-writing campaign include Lynn Ahrens, Zakiyyah Alexander, Jaclyn Backhaus, Bekah Brunstetter, Carla Ching, Vichet Chum, Paul Downs Colaizzo, Kevin Coval, Joe DiPietro, Rick Elice, Sara Gancher, Idris Goodwin, Amanda Green, Lauren Gunderson, Adam Gwon, Aleshea Harris, Jeremy O. Harris, David Ives, Christine Toy Johnson, Rajiv Joseph, Aditi Brennan Kapil, Lisa Kron, Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza, Craig Lucas, Ken Ludwig, Anaïs Mitchell,Marsha Norman, Robert O'Hara, Matthew Paul Olmos, Jiehae Park, Theresa Rebeck, Sarah Ruhl, Nikkole Salter, Tina Satter, Robert Schenkkan, Heidi Schreck,Madhuri Shekar, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Bess Wohl, Doug Wright, and more. 

Be An #ArtsHero co-founders, Brooke Ishibashi, Carson Elrod, Jenny Grace Makholm and Matthew-Lee Erlbach, said: “We look to our nation’s artists to help us understand where we have been, who we are, and what is possible. Let us set the stage and rewrite the story. For a better, more equitable society. For economic justice. For a seat at the table. For a working democracy. For the very soul and spirit of this nation.”

The letters can be read here.