06/17/2026
A letter from our executive director.
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Dear RISE Community,
I hope this message finds you well. As a working theatre artist, I know firsthand how much our careers depend on access to mentors, professional networks, and opportunities to learn from one another. As Executive Director of Maestra, I also see how unevenly those resources are distributed, and how often talented artists leave the field not because of a lack of ability, but because they lack access to the relationships and support systems that help careers take root and grow.
This Pride Month, I find myself thinking especially about conversations with other q***r artists. Again and again, the question is not whether they have talent; it is whether they can remain in the field long enough to build sustainable careers. How do you find mentors? How do you build professional relationships? How do you gain access to opportunities when so much of our industry still operates through informal networks and insider knowledge? For many artists, these questions determine not only who advances, but who stays.
That reality is what inspired RISE Theatre. Created by Maestra in partnership with the Miranda Family Fund, RISE works to strengthen pathways into sustainable theatre careers through mentorship, workforce development, employer engagement, hiring resources, and the RISE Directory, which now includes over 4,000 theatre and media professionals across more than 130 creative, technical, and administrative roles.
Recent Theatre Communications Group research suggests that 73.3% of theatre workers have considered leaving the field because of financial constraints, while only 26.5% report being compensated equitably and consistently. For q***r artists in particular, community, mentorship, and professional support systems can make the difference between leaving the field and building a lasting career.
We are celebrating q***r artists while investing in their future. On June 23, RISE will host a special fundraiser featuring artist workshops in directing, playwriting, and projection design led by members of our community. The event is an opportunity to learn, connect, celebrate, and support the systems that help artists thrive.
Whether you attend, make a gift, or simply help spread the word, I hope you will join us. Every gift helps create opportunity:
• $25 helps an artist participate in a workshop and connect with community.
• $50 supports workforce development resources that help emerging artists navigate careers in the theatre industry.
• $75 creates opportunities for artists to build professional relationships, exchange knowledge, and strengthen their networks.
• $100 supports an hour of mentorship and professional development.
• $250 expands access to workforce development programming and career-building experiences.
• $500 supports a mentorship pairing for an emerging theatre artist.
• $1,000 supports a RISE workforce cohort participant for one year, providing stipends, professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and direct exposure to industry leaders.
Together, these investments help artists build careers, strengthen professional networks, and remain in a field where too many talented people struggle to access opportunity. Pride is more than visibility. It’s sustainability.
Thank you for considering a gift in support of this work.
Warmly,
Lee Bynum, PhD
Executive Director
